About Us
Our Story
Welcome to Al Baraka Cafe Touba, the gate of an Authentic Senegalese coffee experience. The Café Touba itself is a Senegalese’s signature blend with over 123 years of existence introduced in Senegal in 1902 by Serigne Touba (RTA).
Al Baraka Café Touba offers a traditional Senegalese beverage renowned for its unique and authentic flavors. Al Baraka Café Touba is a blend of medium – Dark Roasted of Robusta beans with grain of selim ‘Jaar’ and cloves, creating a bold, spicy flavor that has captivated coffee lovers in the world. We are a Family Coffee Roaster with the vision to spread coffee culture from Tuba , Senegal to the globe.
What's in a Name?
Al Baraka Cafe Touba tells the story of Senegal’s spicy coffee tradition. Al-Baraka (البركة(: being an Arabic word
that refers to “the blessing” or “the blessed one”. It represents here a divine gift that comes from God for Senegal.
Yes, Café Touba has a strong religious connection because it was introduced in Touba, by its founder, Sheikh
Ahmadou Bamba, our spiritual guide of Murid Brotherhood. Touba being a religious city in Senegal, iconically
known for being coffee’s gateway in Senegal. So, we prefer not to translate the word, Café Touba, as its originality
works well in the French name, which is well-known in Senegal and abroad.
“If you love strong coffee you have to try this! ”
The Vibrant History behind Café Touba
Café Touba was created by Serigne Touba, also known as Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba (RTA) (1853-1927), a Sufi, a legacy of faith and resistance, and the founder of our Murid brotherhood. Serigne Touba founded the Senegalese city of Touba in 1887, now, the second most populous City in Senegal, which this coffee takes its name. Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba is teaching emphasized, charity, humility, peace, self-resilience, and the love of hard work.
When Cheikh Amadou Bamba Mbacké, returned to our Country the Senegal in 1902 after his exile in Gabon, he brought with him the habit of coffee. He introduced the beverage to the country , for late-night chanting sessions ‘Chaant ‘, combining caffeine and spices to keep chanters awake and alert. The khassaïdes – poems composed by Cheikh Amadou Bamba – and the zikr – repeated invocations of the name of Allah – were traditionally accompanied by a cup of Café Touba.
By sharing his beloved beverage recipe and encouraging his followers to prepare and consume this spicy coffee, he was responsible for the birth of Café Touba in Senegal. Today, Al Baraka Café Touba and so many other businesses that turn around this coffee only preserve the legacy he left behind.
The Founders
Al Baraka Cafe touba is a female owned business 100 % Senegalese. Founded by Khadija, Fatu and Aida, their aim is to create tasty and spicy coffee, represent women, have fun, and drive towards a more equal coffee industry.
It was no long time that Khadija just moved to Uk . being in a new country outside of Senegal was a big experience for her and a big challenge. She says that the coffee they made in Senegal has a chance to be love by people abroad and because of the big number of African shop in Uk .Khadija has always been an entrepreneur, so it was easy for her with all her experience to develop the project from A to Z .
With her Sister Aida living in Germany , they decide with their aunty in Senegal a big Master coffee Roaster to create Al Baraka Café Touba.
About our Roaster
Fatu is our Aunty and a fervent Murid , she is our Master coffee roaster, living steeped in tradition, meticulously transform our beans into the rich, aromatic brew that has come to define Al Baraka Café Touba.
She is the Fifth generation of her family coffee roaster; she personally roasts all our beans with her team in Senegal.
A secret family technique and expertise she says…
Fatou is born in Tuba and grew around the mosques and religious chants. The story was this amazing she sayed that the roasting expertise of Al baraka Cafe Touba came from her great-great grandparent. Her grandparent learns it from her great-grandparent and now she gets her legacy from her parents. She learns the techniques and expertise when she was very young. Fatu said that she started in the beginning helping in the side around aged 5.
She said that in her 10 years old she starts doing herself her own roasting beans and share with her friends. She remembers every morning for breakfast in her late teens her mom asked her to help make the café Touba not for sale but for the whole family. The way to make traditionally the coffee is very hand working and hardworking ,she said they only selected the quality beans , washed it and let it dry in the sun after to put it in a big traditional mortar and blend it to let the beans bloom all his flavors .After they started roasted all the beans with charcoal stove and after blend it to have the coffee.
She says that using the charcoal roasting method will lessen the possibility of overcooked or undercooked coffee beans because this method ensures that the inside of each coffee bean is cooked well.
When roasting, we have only our 5 senses which can guide us : our smell, our touch, our taste, the sound of the first crack of the beans and the right time to take off the beans of the fire for the cooling chamber.