Through his pastries, he shares his personal journey and that of his nation, forging connections between cultures. Born in Faya-Largeau in northern Chad, at the edge of the Sahara desert, Hissein Mahamoud Barkai is an international renowned pastry chef. Having grown up in Chad, Libya and Algeria, he now lives in France, where he has transformed his desert heritage into culinary art. A multiple award-winner, this son of Faya-Largeau now works independently.

Born on 2 January 1984 in Faya-Largeau, about 1,000 km from N’Djamena, the Chadian capital, Hissein Mahamoud Barkai is a passionate lifelong devotee of pastry. This northern town, at the heart of the Chadian desert, is where the young Hissein completed his primary and secondary schooling, later continuing at Félix Éboué High School and Lycée de la Liberté in N’Djamena.

Like many Chadian children, he juggled school with agricultural chores during his childhood. The son of a farmer, he would rise at dawn with his brothers to tend the family garden, cultivating date palms, fruit and vegetables. His duties included watering, weeding, harvesting and preparing produce for sale, all before walking a kilometre to school at 8 a.m.

Young Hissein did not enjoy working in the gardens. He preferred going to school. “I loved school life, playing with my friends,” he recalls. He especially enjoyed break time, when they would share snacks such as sweets, salted peanuts, hard-boiled eggs, fritters or cucumbers with peanut sauce.

After earning his baccalaureate, he left for Algeria to study modern literature at Ferhat Abbas University in Sétif. At the university residence, he happily cooked for his fellow students. After returning home briefly, he moved to France and settled in Montpellier, enrolling at the National Institute for Professional Training and Application.

“From the very first moment, I knew this was my world,” the “desert pastry chef” proudly admits. He easily obtained his CAP in cooking. “Everything came naturally in the kitchen,” he says. ‘The joy of working was immense. I learned quickly, and my restaurant internships confirmed my calling.’

A Natural-Born Pastry Chef

His actions reveal his natural talent in the kitchen. From childhood, he was fascinated by cooking: he would hold the bowl while watching his mother or sister knead bread. “I would stand at the doorway, captivated by her movements, the aromas and the flavours. But she would push me away, saying, ‘Go away, this isn’t for boys’,” he recalls. He is the man who won the title of Best Gastronomic Chef of the African Diaspora in December 2025.

In Chad, cooking and pastry were traditionally considered women’s domains — a taboo that is changing, says the “pastry chef of the desert”, who is proud today. ‘When I return to Chad or meet Chadians in everyday life, I see recognition in their eyes — recognition of an unusual journey that opens up new possibilities. I am proof that one can succeed without renouncing their identity,” he affirms with satisfaction.

Enhanced African products

His dishes blend African and French ingredients, facilitating a dynamic cultural exchange. “I build on the precision and exacting standards of French pastry, while infusing it with the products and memories of Chad and Africa,” he explains. Rejecting the term “fusion”, he prefers “culinary harmony”, describing a fluid blending of two worlds. Western audiences delight in his gluten-free desserts made with millet, sorghum, baobab, or tamarind, which offer both novel and familiar flavours.

Also read: Du Kisar tchadien au Attiéké ivoirien: Voyage dans l’univers gastronomique exotique burkinabé (From Chadian Kisar to Ivorian Attiéké: A Journey Through Burkinabé Exotic Gastronomy).

He elevates his creations using millet, sorghum, tiger nuts, black tamarind, baobab, spirulina from Lake Chad, balanites aegyptiaca, dates, doum and hibiscus: ancient, powerful and extraordinarily rich ingredients that are little known. “These are gastronomic treasures, just like vanilla or cocoa,” he emphasises.

To young Chadians tempted by this career, he offers this advice: never be ashamed of your passion; stereotypes dictate nothing. “Gastronomy is noble, universal and meaningful,” he says, “but it demands hard work, discipline and humility.”

For Hissein, pastry transcends the plate; it embodies a cultural richness that deserves to be recognised around the world, demonstrating the universal nature of gastronomy.

Providing delight and sensory pleasure, Hissein aspires to pass on his expertise by teaching pastry to young people, promoting local ingredients and establishing a contemporary Chadian pastry tradition that remains true to its roots. “Through my initiatives and my upcoming book, I want to put Chad on the global gastronomic map. The potential is enormous and ready to be realised,” he declares ambitiously.

Many young Chadians idealise his success, believing that achieving it at home is impossible in a seemingly stagnant country. However, the Faya-Largeau native tempers this view, stating that while migration is not a magical solution, it is nevertheless difficult and sometimes harsh, requiring significant sacrifices. “You have to train, learn a craft and understand why you are leaving,” he advises. Succeeding abroad does not mean abandoning your homeland; rather, it means preparing to return stronger or to embody your origins. “Leave with a solid plan, not a fantasy,” he concludes.

Also read: De l’intégration culinaire et communautaire à la co-création identitaire au Bénin (From Culinary and Community Integration to Identity Co-Creation in Benin).