Coffee cherry, cascara & coffee fruit: taste, effects & sustainability

1. Introduction: What is the coffee cherry?

Summary: The coffee cherry, also known as cascara or the coffee fruit, delights with its fruity-sweet flavour and health-promoting effects – perfect as a tea.

Love coffee and curious about new trends? Then you should get to know the coffee cherry!

The coffee cherry, often called cascara, is the outer fruit layer of the coffee bean – also known as the coffee fruit. While the bean usually takes centre stage, the coffee husk has plenty to offer: a fruity-sweet flavour reminiscent of dried cherries or raisins, and a gentle effect from caffeine and antioxidants.

As cascara tea, it is a healthy treat that has been valued in Ethiopia and Yemen for centuries.

In this guide, you’ll learn all about the coffee cherry: its structure, distinctive flavour, effects on your health, how to make cascara tea, its history and its role in sustainable coffee production here in Ecuador. Step into the world of the coffee fruit!

2. Inside the coffee cherry: skin, pulp and bean

Summary: The coffee cherry, also known as the coffee fruit, consists of skin, pulp and a bean – each layer has a purpose.

The coffee cherry is more than just the outer covering of the familiar coffee bean – it’s a complex fruit with several layers, each playing a role. Whether used as cascara for tea or as the raw material for the bean, every part of the coffee fruit has a purpose. 

The outermost layer is the skin, also called the exocarp. It is green at first and turns red or yellow when ripe – a sign that the coffee cherry is ready to harvest. The skin protects the fruit and is often, after harvesting, dried so it can be reused as cascara. Cascara – the Spanish word for “husk” – is this dried coffee husk, used to make tea.

Below that is the pulp, known as the mesocarp. It is juicy and sweet, and surrounds the coffee beans. The pulp contains sugars and acids that create the coffee cherry’s distinctive fruity-sweet flavour. In some cultures, it is eaten fresh or made into jam, but it is usually removed during coffee production.

Inside the coffee fruit are the coffee beans – more precisely, the seeds – surrounded by a thin, mucilaginous layer (the endocarp). Each coffee cherry contains a bean, which is later roasted and made into your morning coffee. But while the bean is known around the world, the coffee husk is often overlooked – even though it is a sustainable resource that opens up new possibilities as cascara.

3. Flavour: enjoying cascara’s fruity sweetness

Summary: The coffee cherry tastes fruity and sweet, like raisins or cherries.

The coffee cherry is a real taste experience, quite different from the familiar flavour of coffee beans. As cascara, the dried coffee husk of the coffee fruit, it develops a fruity-sweet character that surprises many people. Imagine a mix of dried cherries, raisins and a hint of hibiscus: sweet, slightly tart and with a gentle fruity note. That’s what makes the coffee cherry so special.

The pulp of the coffee fruit is juicy and sweet (reminiscent of apricot), with a delicate acidity reminiscent of red berries. The dried cascara in our coffee cherry tea has a fruity sweetness with a hint of floral notes and a tea-like astringency.

The flavour of products from other producers varies depending on origin and processing: coffee cherries from Ethiopia often have berry notes, while those from Central America tend to remind people of apricots.

As coffee cherry tea, cascara develops its full aroma: it tastes less like coffee and more like a fruity herbal tea. The husk’s sweetness is enhanced by its naturally occurring sugars and fruit acids, which become more concentrated during drying.

Many people describe the flavour as refreshing and light – perfect for a healthy treat between meals. Combined with ingredients such as cinnamon, orange, lemongrass or Guayusa Energy tea, the coffee cherry becomes even more versatile, as you’ll see later in the section on cascara tea.

4. Effects: caffeine, antioxidants and health

Summary: The coffee cherry provides caffeine and antioxidants, and supports health – a boost for body and mind.

The coffee cherry is not only enjoyable, but also a health booster. The coffee fruit contains caffeine, antioxidants and other compounds that support your body.

Whether as coffee cherry tea or in another form, cascara has plenty to offer. Here you’ll learn about its effects – backed by science.

4.1 Caffeine: a gentler lift than coffee

Yes, the coffee cherry contains caffeine – but less than the bean. A cup of cascara tea (about 400 ml) provides around 20–30 mg of caffeine, compared with 80–150 mg in a cup of coffee (350 ml). That makes it a gentle pick-me-up.

The caffeine in cascara increases concentration and alertness, without the jitters or racing heart that strong coffee can sometimes cause. However, studies show that this performance-enhancing effect is very mild.

The gentle effect comes from caffeine in the coffee fruit being combined with other compounds such as polyphenols, which moderate its effects. This gives you a long-lasting gentle energy boost, ideal for the afternoon.

In traditional coffee-growing regions such as Ethiopia, cascara has long been used as a natural source of energy. In Ecuador, our idea was new, but everyone loves the new product.

4.2 Antioxidants: protection for your body

The coffee cherry is rich in antioxidants, particularly polyphenols and chlorogenic acids. It has been found that cascara has a similar antioxidant capacity to green tea, and that coffee cherries from South America have more than those from Asia. Since our coffee cherries come from agroforestry systems, we can assume that they contain even more antioxidants than cherries from monocultures. These antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals, which promote inflammation and ageing.

The polyphenols in the coffee fruit may also strengthen the immune system through their anti-inflammatory effects. They also support, along with chlorogenic acids, heart health, as they may lower blood pressure and improve circulation. 

So cascara is not only delicious, but also a shield for your body.

4.3 Digestion and other benefits

The coffee cherry also supports your digestion. The fibre in the coffee husk promotes gut health and helps with constipation.

The polyphenols in cascara also have prebiotic properties that support the growth of healthy gut bacteria. This makes coffee cherry tea an ideal drink after a meal.

Other benefits: the chlorogenic acids in the coffee fruit may stabilise blood sugar and promote fat burning, helping with weight management and weight loss. In traditional medicine, cascara is also used for stomach complaints or colds because it has antibacterial effects.  

5. Cascara tea: preparation and recipe ideas

Summary: Cascara tea made from the coffee cherry is easy to prepare and healthy – a fruity treat with powerful effects.

Cascara tea combines the fruity-sweet flavour of the coffee cherry with health benefits that make it a true superfood drink. In this section, you’ll learn how to make cascara tea.

5.1 How to make cascara tea

Making cascara tea is easy and gives you a fruity treat with little effort. Here’s a basic recipe, plus tips for variations:

Basic recipe:

• 10–15 g of coffee cherry tea (about 2 tbsp)
• 400 ml water
• Optional: honey, cinnamon or orange peel

Method:

1. Bring the water to the boil.
2. Put the cascara in a teapot or directly in a cup with a tea strainer.
3. Pour the hot water over it and leave the tea to steep for 5–10 minutes – the longer it steeps, the more intense the flavour. Our coffee cherry tea does not taste bitter.
4. Optional: strain out the cascara and sweeten to taste with honey, or add a touch of cinnamon to bring out its fruity sweetness.

Tip: To make iced tea, let the coffee cherry tea cool, then serve it with ice cubes and a squeeze of lemon juice – perfect for hot days! You’ll find more recipes in the article Making cascara tea: easy recipes for every day!

6. History: from Ethiopia to modern cascara

The coffee cherry is much more than a by-product of coffee production – it has a fascinating history stretching back centuries. As cascara, the coffee fruit is now making its way around the world, but its roots lie in the coffee-growing regions of Ethiopia and Yemen. 

The story of the coffee cherry begins in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. According to a legend, a goat herder named Kaldi noticed in the 9th century that his goats became livelier after eating red coffee cherries. While coffee beans later became known around the world, people in Ethiopia and Yemen had long been using the coffee husk. They brewed it into coffee cherry tea, then called “Qishr”, and flavoured it with spices such as cinnamon or ginger. 

In Yemen, another centre of coffee cultivation, “Qishr” was a popular drink, especially in regions where coffee beans were expensive. Cascara – the Arabic word “qishr” also means “husk” – offered an affordable alternative and was valued for its fruity-sweet note. In these cultures, the coffee fruit was never waste, but a valuable part of everyday life.

It was only in the 19th century, with the industrialisation of coffee production, that the use of the coffee husk fell into obscurity. The bean became the main product, and cascara was often discarded. But since the 2000s it has enjoyed a revival: coffee farms in South America began drying the husks and selling them as coffee cherry tea. This modern cascara quickly caught on – not only for its flavour, but also for its health benefits.

Today, cascara is a global trend: from specialty cafés in Berlin to sustainable projects in Ecuador, such as ours at GUYA. The coffee cherry is being rediscovered – as a fruity drink and as a contribution to sustainability, as described in the next section.

7. Sustainability: giving coffee cherries a new use

The coffee cherry is not only delicious and healthy, but also a key to more sustainable coffee production. For a long time, the coffee husk – the coffee fruit without its bean – was discarded as waste. But with the rediscovery of cascara, it is now being put to new use, benefiting both the environment and coffee farmers. 

Instead of throwing the coffee husk away, it is dried and made into coffee cherry tea – a process that drastically reduces waste.

At GUYA, we rely on agroforestry systems, where the coffee fruit is grown using permaculture methods. This method protects biodiversity and soils, while giving farmers an additional source of income from selling cascara.

Sustainability goes even further: processing cascara uses less water and energy than traditional coffee production, since the husks are simply dried after harvesting. In addition, sales of coffee cherry tea can increase coffee farmers’ incomes by up to 20%.

The coffee cherry is therefore a perfect example of upcycling: what might seem like waste becomes a healthy and fruity drink that is good for the environment and helps farmers. A truly sustainable trend that shows how much potential the coffee fruit holds!

This trend isn’t actually new, but fortunately it has been rediscovered.

8. Frequently asked questions about coffee cherries

Do you have questions about the coffee cherry? Here we answer the most common ones.

9. Conclusion: cascara – the new coffee trend

The coffee cherry, also known as cascara or the coffee fruit, is more than just a by-product of coffee production – it is a new coffee trend that brings together flavour, health and sustainability.

Its fruity-sweet flavour, reminiscent of cherries and raisins, makes it a unique treat. As cascara tea, it is easy to prepare and provides a gentle energy boost from caffeine.

The effects of cascara are impressive: it provides antioxidants, supports digestion and promotes heart health. 

Its long history – from Ethiopia to modern use – shows the rich tradition of the coffee cherry, which today is revolutionising the coffee industry as a sustainable resource.