Café Touba

Senegal — Mouride spiritual tradition

Selim pepper (djar) and cloves are roasted directly with the coffee beans before grinding. The spices aren't added after brewing; they're baked into the bean itself. The drink is named after the holy city of Touba, spiritual center of Senegal's Mouride brotherhood, and its origins are tied to Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba's teachings. Every street corner in Dakar has a vendor selling it in small plastic bags for a few hundred CFA francs. Peppery, warming, deeply aromatic.

How to make it

1. 1

   Roast green coffee beans together with selim pepper (djar/grains of Selim) and whole cloves until dark.

2. 2

   Grind the spiced beans together — the spices are now embedded in the coffee.

3. 3

   Brew using a cloth or paper filter with hot water, or boil directly in a pot.

4. 4

   Strain thoroughly and add sugar to taste — it's typically served quite sweet.

5. 5

   Pour into small glasses. Café Touba is meant to be drunk quickly and often throughout the day.