Foundational
Cascara: coffee cherry tea
What cascara actually is, how it's brewed, its caffeine content, and how it differs from the unrelated herbal product "cascara sagrada."
What cascara is
Cascara is the dried skin and pulp of the coffee cherry (a by-product of processing, most commonly of natural/dry processing) steeped like a tea, producing a lightly sweet, fruity infusion distinct from brewed coffee itself.
Not to be confused with cascara sagrada
"Cascara sagrada" is an unrelated herbal product derived from buckthorn bark, traditionally used as a laxative — it shares a name (Spanish for "bark"/"husk") with coffee cascara but is a completely different substance with different effects. CoffeeHQ states this distinction explicitly to avoid confusion.
Preparation and taste
Cascara is typically steeped like tea, in water below full boiling, for several minutes — over-steeping can extract excessive tannic bitterness. Flavour is commonly described as fruity, lightly sweet, sometimes tea- or hibiscus-like, distinct from coffee's own flavour profile.
Caffeine content
Cascara contains caffeine, generally at a lower concentration than a comparable serving of brewed coffee, though exact content varies by source cherry and preparation — treat it as a caffeinated beverage, not a caffeine-free one.
Food safety and regulatory status
Cascara's regulatory status as a food/beverage ingredient has varied by jurisdiction and has been clarified over time in some markets; check locally-applicable food safety guidance for commercial sale, and apply ordinary food-safety handling (proper drying, clean storage) for home use.
Sustainability angle
Cascara gives commercial value to a cherry by-product that would otherwise be waste or low-value compost, a genuine (if partial) sustainability upside — see CoffeeHQ's coffee waste and by-products guide for the fuller picture.