All We Need is Some Swedish Fika

A structured pause, a stimulating sip, a tasty treat, a time to reconnect and rejuvenate. This is a ritual worth writing into your daily calendar, finds Priya Pathiyan

Past generations knew how to slow things down, press pause on a crazy day, and settle in for a relaxed sip and a delightful conversation. Freshly brewed piping hot tea several times a day and enjoyed with a little snack was part of our culture. But with increasingly busy lives and instant beverages we have perhaps stopped savouring those micro moments of bliss as we once did. 

As Indians, we belong to a high-context society, where social occasions and chances to connect are aplenty. And yet, there’s something valuable that we can learn from the Scandinavian culture of Sweden. The Swedes generally live very independent, almost isolated lives. So, when they do come together, they believe that the connection is quite precious and needs nurturing. They have developed the unique ritual of fika, which is observed by everyone, young and old, traditional and modern, rich and poor.

So what is fika? Many believe that fika originated when coffee was banned several times in Sweden across the 18th and 19th centuries as it was perceived as a foreign influence and cultural threat. ‘Fika’ was the clever ‘underground’ reference to the illegal ‘kaffi’ by inverting the syllables, created by people who just couldn’t get enough of the addictive drink, which was finally decriminalised in 1822. From there on, the drinking of coffee has, in fact, become a big part of Swedish culture. But fika today is not just about that. 

The friendly server at Le Petit Café in Gothenburg’s old town called Haga Nygata, where I had my first fika with my husband, explained how it is essentially a dedicated time set aside to enjoy coffee and a snack with friends, family, colleagues, or even with oneself. She said that fika is all about savouring the time with your dear ones even as you indulge yourself. Fika is an integral part of Swedish life and something that you’ll find people specially scheduling into their agenda, sometimes even twice a day.

Fika at office! This time is considered so special and sacrosanct that many companies actually have rules around it – taking a fika break (called fikapaus or fikarast) is an employee’s right and it isn’t usually interrupted. Often, the entire office will do a collective fika late afternoon on Friday, just before they leave early from work, with a different colleague bringing the cake every week. This has proved especially helpful in creating an inclusive environment, in a country that has increasingly diverse ethnicities working together in modern times. So much so that many corporates have even institutionalised it, with the HR department deputed to buy a cake for the office every Friday. And yet, some of the quaint old traditions are still observed, with no one taking the last slice of cake, even leaving it over the weekend!

There is fika at home too. Couples and families go the extra mile to enjoy fika together. It doesn’t have to be an evening engagement: it’s enjoyed anytime that everyone can make it. Kids participate in family fika too, even if they don’t drink coffee. For many busy couples, it’s a mini date night, which they consciously make time for. 

Fika with friends is hosting fika at home for those you like and it used to be called kafferep. Traditionally, it was mandatory to serve exactly seven different types of cookies with the coffee. Today, it’s much more flexible. Friends often get together over fika instead of a drink outside. It’s not just ‘catching up over coffee’, but a chance to truly connect and bond. No wonder Stockholm’s legendary cafés often have special fika deals and combos to entice friends to visit together. The coffee is usually bottomless, an affordable unlimited pour that keeps the friendly fika well fuelled.

You also have fika with yourself!! Fika time can be me-time. Many Swedes today believe that this is a chance to commune with oneself, to take a breath from that busy schedule to slow down and appreciate life’s blessings.

Fika is flexible. Even in its structure (where it’s pencilled into the daily calendar!) fika is completely customisable. It can be a mid-morning meeting, an early evening date, or even a post-dinner assignation. And what you have while you’re fika-ing is totally up to you, too. Although they are one of the world’s top consumers of coffee, the Swedes, who like their coffee strong and black, won’t mind if you choose tea or a cool drink instead. The accompanying snack can be sweet or savoury.  

The most popular are pretzel-shaped cinnamon buns called kanelbullar, which have a dusting of sugar pearls. The traditional bakeries do giant versions of these for a fun fika. Tortes spilling over with fresh fruit and cream in summer. Dammsugare or punschrollen (marzipan-coated pastries) in winter. There is also tiny, bite-sized buttery cookies called småkakor. And thin, spiced crisps called pepparkakor.

Fika time also includes savouries. Smörgåstårta looks like a cake but is actually a rye bread sandwich with delicious fillings such as smoked salmon, cheese, cold cuts, etc, covered with a cream cheese and mayonnaise frosting and topped with chopped vegetables. Vegetarians will enjoy svamptoast – an open-faced sandwich made with chanterelle mushrooms sautéed in cream with parsley, and butter-fried bread. Seafood lovers can make toast skagen, where the mushroom mixture of svamptoast is replaced with one that combines shrimps with dill, mayonnaise, and mustard, topped with whitefish roe.

While it’s fun to try the original fika foods while travelling or recreating them at home, you can always pair your coffee with your own local favourites. It doesn’t matter what you’re having, fika is all about the bonds you’re strengthening. Try some fika time today and thank UpperCrust later!