"Cascara" means "husk" in Spanish, and is the word used to describe the dried pulp of the coffee cherry once it is removed from the seed, which is used to make a tea-like infusion. The flavour of the drink that cascara makes is rather unique, a little floral, a little fruity like raisins.
Helsar de Zarcero Micromill is owned by Ricardo Pérez and brothers Felipe and Marvin Rodriguez and was built in the early 2000s in order to control the processing, and therefore the quality, of their farms.
Since 2012, the University of Costa Rica and Helsar Micromill have been researching the possibility of creating food-grade cascara using modern technology, pasteurisation, and specialisation. In an interesting role reversal, the coffees used here were picked specifically to produce cascara and the coffee seeds are the "by-product". Caturra, Catuai, and Villalobos coffees from fincas Santa Lucía and Anonos in Naranjo, Costa Rica, comprise this special lot.
After being harvested, the cherries are transported on the same day to a facility to be specially processed. The seeds in their mucilage are taken away, and the removed pulp is washed, pasteurised, and dehydrated in a sterile environment to keep it free of pathogens, debris commonly found in “regular” cascara. This cascara is super clean.
