Qishr - the first coffee was an infusion of husks, not beans
Imagine that the first coffee people drank was not at all an infusion of roasted beans but a drink from the husks of the coffee fruit, seasoned with ginger. It sounds surprising, because today coffee is associated solely with the bean. And yet in old Yemen they brewed qishr, that is a drink from coffee husks with the addition of spices, which was one of the forerunners of todays coffee. What is more, qishr also had a practical and frugal dimension. The precious coffee bean was exported, and at home people drank what remained, namely the husks. This drink, forgotten today, has a fascinating history and shows how varied the roads were by which coffee entered human culture. Here is the tale of qishr, of what it is, how it tastes, where it came from and why the husks of the coffee fruit became a frugal alternative to the expensive bean.
What qishr is
Qishr is a traditional Yemeni drink prepared from the husks of the coffee fruit, that is from the dried part of the fruit surrounding the coffee bean. To these husks spices are added, above all ginger, and sometimes others, such as cinnamon. This drink is brewed much like tea or coffee, by pouring hot water over the husks and spices. The result is a drink of a light, amber color, lighter and more delicate than coffee from beans. Qishr does not contain the oils present in roasted beans, so it has a lighter, more tea-like texture and less caffeine. Its taste is sometimes described as fruity, floral and spicy, thanks to the combination of coffee fruit husks with ginger. It is a drink distinctly different from what we today understand as coffee. Qishr is proof that from the coffee fruit one can draw not only the bean but also the surrounding husks, creating a drink of its own, unique character, deeply rooted in Yemeni tradition.
The coffee fruit and its husks
To understand qishr, you have to know how the coffee fruit is built. The coffee we drink comes from beans, that is the pits inside the fruit of the coffee plant. This fruit, resembling a small cherry, consists of a bean surrounded by pulp and a husk. In coffee production the bean is the most precious, and the surrounding parts of the fruit, including the husks, are often treated as a byproduct. Yet these husks, dried, can be used to prepare a drink such as qishr. This shows that from the coffee fruit one can draw more than just the bean. The dried husks, also known by another name, contain part of the compounds present in the fruit and are suitable for brewing. The use of the husks is an example of a frugal approach, in which nothing is wasted and the whole coffee fruit finds use. Qishr rests precisely on this principle, making use of the husks that would otherwise be waste, and transforming them into a valuable, tasty drink.
A forerunner of coffee
Qishr has a special place in the history of coffee, because it was one of its forerunners. Before people began widely roasting coffee beans and brewing from them the infusion we know today, early Yemeni communities brewed precisely the husks of the coffee fruit. This means that the first coffee, in the sense of a drink prepared from the fruit of the coffee plant, was closer to qishr than to todays coffee from roasted beans. It is fascinating, because it shows that the road to modern coffee was not simple or obvious. Before the manner of preparing coffee from roasted beans was established, people experimented with various parts of the fruit, including the husks. Qishr is therefore a kind of living testimony of these early stages of the history of coffee. In drinking it, we commune with a drink close to what people drank at the dawn of the coffee tradition. This makes us realize what a long and winding road coffee traveled before it became a drink from roasted beans, as we know and drink it today around the world.
A frugal alternative
Qishr also had an important practical and economic dimension. The precious coffee bean was an export commodity for which a good price could be obtained. In this situation it paid to sell the bean, and at home to drink what remained, namely the husks of the coffee fruit. Qishr therefore became a frugal alternative to coffee from beans, allowing a drink to be drawn from the part of the fruit that was not destined for export anyway. It is a sensible, frugal approach, in which the valuable bean goes to sale, and the household uses the cheaper, available part of the fruit. Qishr was therefore not only a drink of its own taste but also a practical economic solution. For many Yemeni homes it constituted an everyday, available drink, far cheaper than coffee from beans. This shows how practical needs shaped customs. The husks, which elsewhere might have been thrown away, in Yemen became the basis of a prized drink, combining frugality with the pleasure of drinking and a rich, spicy taste.
Taste and character
Qishr is a drink of a distinctly different character than coffee from roasted beans. Thanks to the fact that it is made from husks rather than beans, it is lighter, more delicate and more like tea than classic coffee. It does not contain the oils typical of roasted beans, so it has a lighter texture. Its taste, enriched with ginger, is spicy, warming, with fruity and floral notes coming from the husks of the coffee fruit. The caffeine content in qishr is lower than in coffee from beans, which makes it a drink milder in action. It is a pleasant, warming and aromatic drink, ideal as an everyday beverage. The combination of coffee fruit husks with ginger gives a characteristic taste, far from the bitterness of strong coffee. Qishr is proof that from the coffee plant one can draw drinks of very different character. For someone accustomed solely to coffee from beans, qishr can be a fascinating discovery, offering a completely different taste experience, lighter, spicier and more akin to tea than to classic, strong coffee.
A tradition of hospitality
Qishr has a deep cultural significance in Yemen, reaching beyond the mere drinking. For centuries it has been a drink connected with hospitality, served to guests as an expression of respect and cordiality. Preparing and serving qishr is a gesture of welcome, an element of custom and tradition. This drink also accompanied various occasions, including celebrations and gatherings. This makes qishr not only an everyday drink but also a carrier of cultural meanings, a symbol of hospitality deeply rooted in Yemeni culture. Just as in other cultures certain drinks play the role of a gesture of welcome, so in Yemen qishr is part of the custom of receiving guests. This cultural function is as important as the taste or the frugal character of the drink. It shows that qishr is a living tradition, present in everyday life and at important moments. In drinking qishr, one communes not only with its taste but also with the whole culture of hospitality of which it is a part. This makes this drink something more than just a forgotten forerunner of coffee.
Qishr and cascara
It is worth noting that qishr has its equivalent in the broader world of drinks from coffee fruit husks. The dried husks of the coffee fruit, from which qishr is prepared, are also known by another name and are sometimes used to prepare similar drinks in various places. In recent years a drink from coffee fruit husks has gained popularity as a curiosity and a way of using a byproduct of coffee production. This shows that the idea on which qishr rests, namely drawing a drink from the husks rather than only from the beans, is returning to favor in the contemporary world of coffee. Qishr, however, is older and deeply rooted in Yemeni tradition, while the contemporary fashion for husk drinks is relatively new. It is interesting that something that in Yemen was an everyday, frugal drink for centuries is today sometimes discovered anew as a novelty. Qishr reminds us that many contemporary ideas for using coffee have their roots in old, proven traditions.
What qishr teaches us
The story of qishr is more than a curiosity about a forgotten drink. It is a tale of how varied the roads were by which coffee entered human culture, and of the fact that the first coffee was not at all what we know today. It also shows the frugal, wise approach of old people, who could use the whole coffee fruit, drawing a drink from the husks when the precious bean went to export. It makes us realize that from the coffee plant one can create drinks of very different character. For the coffee lover it is an invitation to look at coffee more broadly, beyond the bean itself, and to discover its rich, varied history. Qishr reminds us that coffee is not only a roasted bean but the whole plant and its fruit, from which people drew in various ways for centuries. It is also a lesson about frugality and ingenuity, in which nothing is wasted. Qishr, a light and spicy drink from husks, is a fascinating testimony of this rich and often forgotten history of coffee.
Key takeaways
Qishr is a traditional Yemeni drink prepared from the husks of the coffee fruit with the addition of ginger and sometimes other spices. It is lighter and more delicate than coffee from beans, with a spicy, fruity taste and lower caffeine content. Qishr was one of the forerunners of coffee, because before people began widely roasting beans, early Yemeni communities brewed precisely the husks. It also had a frugal dimension, because the precious bean was exported, and at home people drank the drink from husks. It is a drink deeply connected with the tradition of hospitality. It shows how varied and surprising the history of coffee is. If you enjoy such discoveries and want to taste coffee thoughtfully, keep your tasting journal in GustoNote.