Caffeine-free coffee from the Karoo

Coffee is made from coffee beans, right? The Coetzee family from Prieska in the Northern Cape have discovered another kind of “coffee” made from the pods of the mesquite tree, which grows wild on the banks of the Orange River.

They call their creation MannaBrew, and although it’s not coffee per se, the rich, dark liquid can be made and enjoyed in precisely the same way.

Mesquite trees are an invasive species and this project is helping to curb their spread. During the two- to three-week window each year when pods can be harvested, community members get involved and they sell the pods to the Coetzees by the kilogram.