Cascara Tea, La Esmeralda

Cascara, meaning ‘skin’ or ‘peel’ in Spanish, is the skin of the coffee cherry, which is typically discarded after the cherries are washed and depulped. Once dried, it makes for a unique and refreshing tea. 

From the Boquete region in Panama, Hacienda La Esmeralda is an award-winning farm run by the Peterson family. Having won the Best of Panama auctions multiple times, La Esmeralda is an estate with a long and rich history. As a family-run business, they pride themselves on high quality coffee that is internationally acclaimed.

They were one of the first producers to separate coffee lots by varietals, and in their forward-thinking, their Gesha varietal lot won the 2004 national competition for its juicy brightness and multi-layered aromatics. The fame of the varietal grew and today Gesha varietals are sold for one of the highest prices in coffee's history.

With this prized Gesha varietal, La Esmeralda has produced cascara from the skin of the coffee fruit. Careful drying is required to process cascara to avoid over-fermentation. The result is a cascara with gentle florals and natural fruit sweetness.