Café Touba
A distinctly Senegalese coffee heavily spiced with grains of Selim and cloves, delivering a robust, peppery kick.
Preparing the Spice Blend
Toast the coffee beans, grains of Selim, and cloves together lightly in a dry pan until fragrant. Let them cool, then grind them together to a medium-fine consistency.
The Setup
Place a paper or traditional cloth filter into your brewing cone over a carafe. Add the ground coffee and spice mixture evenly into the filter.
The Brew
Bring the water to just off a boil (about 95°C). Pour a small amount over the grounds to let them bloom for 30 seconds. Slowly pour the remaining water in concentric circles, allowing it to drip through completely.
Service
Café Touba is traditionally served very sweet to balance the intense, peppery spice of the grains of Selim. Add sugar while the coffee is hot, stir vigorously, and serve in small cups.
Café Touba is a deeply significant cultural and spiritual beverage in Senegal, intrinsically linked to the Mouride brotherhood and its founder, Cheikh Amadou Bamba. Named after the holy city of Touba, the drink is consumed daily for its medicinal properties and its ability to keep worshippers alert during prayer.
The defining element of Café Touba is djar, also known as grains of Selim or Guinea pepper. These long, pod-like spices impart a distinct, balsamic, and sharply peppery flavor that entirely transforms the coffee. Combined with a few cloves, the spice profile is intense and warming. Because the resulting brew carries a significant kick, it is almost always heavily sweetened with sugar, creating a striking balance between the robust roasted coffee, the sharp pepper heat, and the syrupy sweetness.