In brief
- Café touba: coffee ground with Guinea pepper (djar), brewed like a filter coffee
- Origin: Senegal, the holy city of Touba, the Mouride brotherhood
- Essential ingredients: coffee, ground Guinea pepper, water, sugar
- Served at Mouride ceremonies and shared daily among family and friends
Origins and cultural history of café touba
Café touba takes its name from Touba, a holy city founded in 1887 by Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacké, founder of the Sufi Mouride brotherhood. According to historical sources, the drink dates back to 1902: returning from an exile imposed by the colonial administration in Gabon, Cheikh Amadou Bamba brought back to Senegal the practice of mixing coffee with a local spice, Guinea pepper.
This seed, called djar in Wolof (also known as Selim pepper), comes from the Xylopia aethiopica shrub grown in the Touba region: it is what sets café touba apart from ordinary coffee. Cloves are sometimes added, depending on the family. The drink holds a ritual place among the Mourides, served during the Grand Magal of Touba and other brotherhood ceremonies, and remains today one of the most widely consumed hot drinks in West Africa.
What are the essential ingredients of café touba
The preparation combines coffee and ground Guinea pepper in a proportion of about 80% coffee to 20% spice, before being brewed with hot water.
- Coffee (arabica or robusta), roasted and ground
- Ground Guinea pepper (djar, Xylopia aethiopica)
- Water
- Sugar, to taste
What to know about café touba
Café touba is ground coffee mixed with ground Guinea pepper, called djar, in a ratio of about 80% coffee to 20% spice, then brewed with hot water like filter coffee. It is sweetened to taste and served hot in small cups, sometimes with cloves added. It takes its name from Touba in Senegal, the city of the Mouride brotherhood, and is shared at ceremonies and every day among family and friends.
Frequently asked questions about café touba
What ingredients make up café touba?
Café touba combines roasted coffee, arabica or robusta, with ground Guinea pepper (djar), in a proportion of about 80% coffee to 20% spice. Cloves are sometimes added, depending on the family. The mixture is then brewed with hot water and sweetened to taste.
How do you make café touba at home?
Pour boiling water over the ground café touba, in a filter coffee maker or a French press. Let it steep for about 4 minutes, then strain. Sweeten to taste and serve hot, in small cups as in Senegal.
Where to find the ingredients for café touba in France?
NKOSI sells ready-ground café touba and cane sugar for this recipe and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
