Gaia Cafe Vietnam

Ingredients:

• 250mL hot Cascara tea
• 250mL milk (dairy or plant-based)
• 1 tablespoon (~15mL) maple syrup, honey, or sweetener of choice (add more if you like it sweeter)
• 1/4 teaspoon (~1.5gr) ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon (~1.5gr) ground nutmeg
• Whipped cream and cinnamon powder (optional)

Alternatively, you can use the following measurements of spices: 

• 1/4 teaspoon (~1.5gr) ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon (~0.5gr) ground nutmeg 
• 1/8 teaspoon (~0.5gr) ground cloves

Instructions:

• In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat until it is steaming hot (be careful to not let it rolling boil)
• Add the steeped Cascara tea, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg to the saucepan with the hot milk; stir well on heat for a few minutes
• Remove from heat and strain the mixture into a mug
• Top with whipped cream and sprinkle some cinnamon powder on top if desired

*For regular Cascara latte, follow the same steps without adding the ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg

Ingredients:

• 250mL cooled Cascara tea
• 60mL sparkling water
• 1 tablespoon (15mL) honey or any sweetener (add more if you like it sweeter)
• 60mL pineapple juice
• 60mL orange juice
• Ice cubes; fresh mint leaves for garnish

Instructions:

• In a shaker or glass, combine the cooled cascara tea, honey or sweetener, pineapple juice, and orange juice
• Fill a serving glass with ice cubes; pour the mixture into the glass
• Gently pour sparkling water on top and stir
• Garnish with fresh mint leaves
• Sip and enjoy the refreshing Cascara mocktail

Ingredients:

• 250mL cooled Cascara tea
• 60mL fresh lime juice (about 2-3 limes)
• 2 tablespoons (~30mL) honey, or sweetener of choice (add more if you like it sweeter)
• 60mL sparkling water (or still water)
• Ice cubes; lime slices for décor

Instructions:

• In a glass, combine the cooled cascara tea, honey or sweetener, and fresh lime juice
• Stir the mixture well
• Fill a serving glass with ice cubes; pour the mixture over the ice
• Top it off with sparkling water for extra fizz (or just still water if you don’t like the fizz)
• Decor with lime slices

This iced fizzy cascara lemonade is a perfect thirst-quencher on hot summer days. The combination of the fruity and floral notes from cascara, the tangy lime juice, and the effervescence of sparkling water creates a delightful and refreshing beverage. Sip and enjoy the invigorating flavors of cascara in this cooling drink.

*For hot Cascara lemonade, keep the hot Cascara tea and substitute the sparkling water with regular hot water. And don’t add ice (obviously)

There are a few fun recipes that Gaia is currently testing such as Cascara Smoothie and Cascara Mulled Cider. The verdict is still out on those recipes so they haven’t made it to the blog yet. I’ll share them with you guys as soon as I figured out the exact measurements of the ingredients. In the meantime, try those recipes above and let me know what you think!