Cascara coffee cherry tea (Costa Rica, Las Lajas Perla Negra), 3 lbs

Description

This is loose leaf, single origin, Caturra varietal coffee cascara tisane, called Perla Negra.
This Certified Fair Trade Organic product is grown and processed in Costa Rica by the famed Las Lajas micromill. Cascara is not, strictly speaking, tea. It comes from the coffee fruit and has a caffeine content somewhere between tea and coffee (about 1/3 to 1/2 the caffeine of coffee). It is typically immersed in hot or cold water like tea to create a beverage from the fruit of the coffee plant. It is rare in the United States.
At 1450-1600 meters above sea level,(a mile high!) about Dona Francisca and Don Oscar Chacon harvest Caturra  varietal coffee cherries. Award-winning coffee beans are the roasted seed of those cherries. Cascara is made with only the berry itself, dried after the coffee beans have been removed. Cascara has a full-bodied viscous mouthfeel. Las Lajas Cascara tastes sweet and has distinct bright and fruity notes of tart cherry, apple juice, cranberry, raisin and honey. There is no lingering aftertaste. Some consider it a "superfood", it energizes, hydrates, and protects with a combination of caffeine, electrolytes, and antioxidants not found in traditional teas or other tisanes. It tastes great and is good for you. As a matter of fact some folks are making refreshing alternative natural energy drinks with it.
Preparation: We like 2-4 Tbsp per mug, steeped with 205F water for at least 6 minutes (cascara will not overextract the way coffee does), and strained with a wire mesh filter. For stronger flavor, pour boiling water until the cascara is just covered by about 1/2" and steep for 8-10 minutes. For additional sweetness, honey works very nicely. We enjoy it both hot and cold. When chilled and served over ice, it tastes like a fruited iced tea with lightly citrusy finish. If you let it steep until cool, it will emphasize the natural sweetness. Used cascara can be re-steeped with reasonable results if you add around 20% fresh cascara. It can also be cold brewed for 12-14 hours.  Cascara may also be eaten straight, or used for baking (like dried cranberries).
A large coffee chain also popularized a syrup used to flavor espresso based drinks.
Please note this is
NOT
Cascara Sagrada which is an over-the-counter (OTC) drug for constipation made from a shrub, not coffee.
You are purchasing 3 pounds with free Priority Mail shipping.
Please see our other listings for different quantities. (1 pound - , 2 pounds - )
S&W Craft Roasting Ltd. is
a small-batch specialty coffee roaster based in Coatesville, Indiana.
For an online article on cascara in general please see Fresh Cup magazine's  "What is Cascara?"