Yemeni Qishr AKA Cascara, Sultana, Hashara

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Recently there has been a lot of attention around traditions and cultures surrounding Coffee cultivating communities. I wanted to share my knowledge of the Yemeni coffee cherry tea, Qishr, other names, how to make it, and also where to get it.

The common name

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

In Yemen, it’s referred to as Qishr, a tea made with coffee cherry husks, cinnamon, ginger or caraway.

In Ethiopia, it’s called Geshar or Hashara, and its darkly roasted until almost black, and infused in water for a longer period to create an intensely fruity brew.

In Bolivia it’s called Sultana, where they enjoy it with cinnamon, clove, and sugar.

Brew a pot of Qishr

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup coffee husks (Qishr)
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 tsp grated ginger (substitute 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsk caraway seeds
  • sugar to taste (i used 1/4 cup)

  1. lightly grind coffee husks in a spice grinder
  2. bring 3 cups of water to boil
  3. add in all your ingredients and stir
  4. let this mixture steep for 5-6 minutes on medium-low heat over the stove
  5. strain your tea mixture
  6. serve while hot

Where to get it

Hope you enjoy your cup of Qishr tea, post your photos in the comments! i’d love to see how it turns out!