Beyond Coffee: A Guide to Cascara and Matcha

Coffee is our first love, but there are other flavours worth discovering on the other side of the cup. At Baristica we are often asked what to offer a guest who wants a caffeine-light day, or who simply wants to try something new. More often than not, our answer is two things — cascara and matcha. Both are natural, vegan-friendly, and available at our shop here in Baku.

What is cascara?

Cascara is the dried skin of the coffee cherry. When coffee is processed, the sweet fruit surrounding the seed is usually discarded — cascara gives that fruit a second life by turning it into a tea. The name comes from the Spanish word for "husk".

It tastes nothing like coffee. Expect notes of dried cherry, currant, honey and a hint of hibiscus — light, fruity, with a pleasant tartness. There is caffeine in it, but usually far less than a cup of coffee, which makes it an easy choice for the afternoon or evening. It is also rich in antioxidants.

We love cascara for its low-waste philosophy too: something once treated as a by-product of roasting becomes a beautiful drink in its own right.

How to brew cascara

Cascara is lovely both hot and cold. Treat these ratios as a starting point and adjust to your own taste.

For a hot brew:

• Use roughly 8-10 g of cascara per 250 ml of water
• Heat the water to just below boiling, around 90-95°C
• Steep for 4-5 minutes, then strain
• Add a slice of lemon or a little honey if you like

For cold brew:

• Combine cascara with room-temperature water and leave it in the fridge for 8-12 hours
• Strain and serve over ice — a refreshing, low-caffeine alternative

Cold cascara is especially good in Baku's warmer months: fruity, light and satisfying even without sugar.

What is ceremonial matcha?

Matcha is Japanese green tea ground into a fine powder. The key difference from ordinary tea is that you don't steep and discard the leaf — you drink the whole leaf. That is why matcha gives a more concentrated flavour and more antioxidants.

The "ceremonial" grade is the highest quality: made from young leaves, with a bright emerald colour, a smooth taste and very little bitterness. It is the grade best suited to whisking with just water, no milk or sugar. Coarser "culinary" grades are meant for lattes and baking.

The caffeine in matcha delivers gentle, sustained energy — not a sharp spike, but a calm focus.

How to whisk matcha

The classic method (usucha, or thin matcha):

• Sift 1-2 g of matcha (about half a teaspoon) into a bowl — this prevents clumps
• Heat 60-70 ml of water to 70-80°C; boiling water makes matcha bitter
• Whisk with a bamboo whisk (chasen) in a quick "M" or "W" motion rather than in circles
• Keep going for 15-20 seconds until a fine foam forms on the surface

For a matcha latte:

• Whisk the matcha with a little water as above
• Top with hot or cold milk — it works beautifully with oat and almond milk, which keeps it vegan-friendly
• Over ice with a touch of sweetener, an iced matcha latte is wonderful in summer

A tip: protect matcha from air, light and heat. Store it in a tightly sealed tin to keep its bright colour and fresh flavour.

Worth a try

Cascara and matcha are a side door into the world of coffee — the same ritual, the same care, but different flavours. One carries the fruity soul of the coffee cherry, the other the quiet energy of Japan.

If you are planning a caffeine-light day in Baku, or you are simply curious, come and visit our shop. Our team will help you choose the matcha grade or cascara brew that suits your taste — and if you'd like, you can learn to make them with your own hands in our alternative brewing classes at BARISTICA Academy.