Fika

Fika is almost a national requirement in Sweden.  We have a similar experience in the U.S., only we call it a coffee break.

As a child,  I remember my mom and grandma sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a cookie or rye crisp with bond-ost cheese while they talked about the family or the neighbors or what to cook for Sunday dinner.  It was a time to relax and to be together.  I never knew they were having Fika…. Coffee and a bite and sharing.

In Scandinavian countries, Fika is enthusiastically enjoyed by office workers, laborers, shopkeepers, farmers, virtually everyone.  Fika cafes are popular in cities, similar to the French cafe, offering scrumptious pastries, smorgas (small open-faced sandwiches), salads, and other treats.  My Swedish cousin’s husband and son built a Fika room in their barn so they could have a pleasant space to enjoy their coffee and pastry or biscuit or….  while they discussed the plan for the rest of the day.

Typically, Fika occurs midway between breakfast and lunch, then again midway between lunch and dinner, and once again between dinner and bed. Fika is a relaxed time to rejuvenate the spirit, a time to think, and a time for conversation, sharing thoughts and concerns, ideas, and plans over a cup of coffee and a cookie.  This seems quite civilized and I’m determined to start the Fika movement here in America. 

Maybe not three times a day, but my goal is Fika at least once a day.  For extra motivation, I’m baking cookies to go with my coffee.  This peppakakor recipe was one of my grandma’s favorites.  Typically baked for Christmas holidays in the shape of gingerbread men or Christmas trees and stars, peppakakor’s spicy flavor is good any time of the year and especially tasty with my Fika coffee!   Enjoy!