Earlier in the year, I took a visit to the gorgeous Swedish capital of Stockholm, where I was greeted with frosty weather, historic architecture, and lots of fika. 💙💛💙
You are probably familiar with cold climate and lovely buildings, but what the heck is fika?
While it’s a staple of Swedish culture, fika (pronounced fee-ka, meaning ‘coffee’ in Swedish) seems to be a growing trend in the UK. Kind of like Denmark’s hygge philosophy in recent years. Honestly, you couldn’t move in bookstores without bumping into a hygge book…
In this article, I have decided to explore the delightfully comforting world of Swedish coffee culture.
Before we start, check out my new book, helping men of all ages lose weight while still enjoying treats! 👇
- My weekend away in Stockholm
- Fika: From a Swedish perspective
- How to take a fika coffee break
- What to serve
- What is a fika cafe?
- Are there health benefits of fika?
- The final word
My weekend away in Stockholm
I visited Stockholm in February, both to see friends and have a little break with my partner. We saw The Royal Palace, went to a Swedish sauna, and enjoyed about as much red wine as my trip to Bordeaux.
We spent three nights in a cosy historic hotel in the centre of Stockholm.
Each morning there was a great breakfast with loads of vegan options for us. When breakfast was cleared away, a small table near the lobby remained in service throughout the day. 🙌
On it, we would find constantly replenished coffee, tea and a selection of small cakes that you could enjoy at your leisure.
This meant we could return to the hotel throughout the day and enjoy refreshments whenever we were feeling fatigued from all the touristy stuff we were doing. A little treat with which to enjoy a breather.
Little did we know that this was fika.
(Here’s me posing in the old town, Gamla Stan. Behind me, some idyllic fika cafes. 👇)
Fika: From a Swedish perspective
So, we know it involves coffee and cake… now it’s time to dive deeper into the world of fika.
And who better to question than my good friend, Tobias Sjösten – a Swede living in Stockholm and a self-professed “fika aficionado”.
“Fika is a casual social event, but one with some ceremony around it,” Tobias told me. “In Sweden, fika is a ritual to disconnect from the world and an opportunity to sit down and connect with other people (and eat pastry).”
“It brings together friends and family, and lots of dating actually starts with grabbing a fika!”
He added, “You plan a fika well in advance – only rarely do they happen spontaneously. You will enjoy them with friends and family, and even at work. Many workplaces will arrange fika at 10 am and again at 3 pm. Of course, it’s a huge faux pas to not show up to these.”
As for what’s served, Tobias explained, “The two main components in fika: coffee and “fika bread”, which is often a cinnamon bun, but it can also be cake. One of my favourites is the dammsugare – this would qualify as a luxury fika.”
How to take a fika coffee break
After speaking to Tobias and using my own research, we can summarize that a fika coffee break is a moment in the day to savour. 😋
Smartphones, doom scrolling, daily commuting, monotonous offices… in such a fast world, it’s all too easy to be sucked into constant chaos. To slow down and enjoy life becomes an afterthought.
This is the beauty of fika. It doesn’t have to be a huge disruption in your day, but 15 minutes to savour the better things in life.
If you want to try it for yourself, I suggest using the typical Swedish workplace times of 10 am and 3 pm. Invite your workmates, partner or friends to enjoy 15 minutes of coffee and cake with you. You can do this in a fika cafe, a regular coffee shop, the break room at work, or in your kitchen – it doesn’t matter.
Then simply enjoy the conversation, the flavours, and the sense of refreshment as you return to business, knowing another fika is just a few hours away.
Remember, this is a break. Don’t work, catch up on emails, scroll on Instagram… just enjoy the moment!
As for what to serve, well…
What to serve
Now for the fun part: what treats do you serve?
Remember that fika is an unpretentious event, so go for your favourites and don’t worry about checking certain boxes in terms of aesthetics or flavours.
For coffee, take it as you enjoy. Perhaps a bryggt kaffe (black coffee) or an oat-milk cappuccino, or a herbal tea if you are that way inclined.
In terms of sweet bites, there’s an abundance of pastries and cakes to dig into.
The classic fail-safe fika treat is kanelbulle – a cinnamon and cardamom flavoured knotted bun with a pearl sugar topping (see photo above).
The Swedes enjoy these cinnamon buns so much that they actually have an entire day dedicated to them: Kanelbullens Dag, on October 4!
One of the most distinctive fika treats is Tobias’s favourite: punsch-roll or dammsugare. Known as a “vacuum cleaner”, this is a small cake surrounded by green marzipan, dipped in chocolate, and flavoured with liqueur (see photo below). Mmm.
You will also find the show-stopping princesstårta (or ‘princess cake’) served. This is an airy layer cake made up of sponge cake, fresh whipped cream and jam, covered in a dome of green marzipan. Yep, it’s as good as it sounds.
If you don’t fancy something so decadent or large, then there’s the simple hallongrottor, or ‘jam caves’. These are small cookies with a thumb of jam in the centre.
This just scrapes the surface of the delightful treats you can enjoy with your coffee. The good news, if you are vegan like me: there are many plant-based varieties of fika treats, including veganized versions of those listed above. 🙌
What is a fika cafe?
A fika cafe is simply a cafe that specialises in serving great brewed coffee and small cakes.
You can find them all over Sweden, naturally, but I’ve seen them popping up in other major cities. For example, they are found across London. Check out Söderberg Soho, or the aptly named Fika in Hackney.
Wherever you go, these cafes offer a place to meet, order coffee (or tea) and cake, and enjoy a moment together.
Are there health benefits of fika?
As Planet Health is a wellbeing focused website, I feel duty bound to point out some of the health benefits of fika.
Yet by now they should be obvious. These little breaks provide things that enhance life: namely relaxation and social connection, which many of us don’t get enough of.
Ultimately, enjoying a little time away from work or the ‘go go go’ of life can only be positive for your mental wellbeing.
Meanwhile, despite what Tobias says, I don’t see much wrong with enjoying fika alone from time to time.
Sure, it’s nicer to enjoy a moment with friends and family. But, if you work at home alone all day, taking a five minute breather isn’t a bad thing.
Whether you read for pleasure, listen to music, watch something uplifting, or simply enjoy the experience of your coffee and cake, it can give you an emotional reset.
The final word
There’s no huge science to fika – it’s simply an excuse to take a moment out of your busy day and enjoy the things that make life fun. Friends, cake and coffee, in a simple and unfussy atmosphere. The Swedes have it sussed!
Whether you visit Stockholm to indulge in fika time, like I did, or you arrange one for your friends, I hope this article has given you a little inspiration.
Have you tried fika? Will you try it now? Let me know in the comments!
Planet Health 