Coffee Traditions in Swedish Culture - Fika!
- abby inpanbutr
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
All over the world, coffee rituals are deeply entwined with everyday life. Whether you are in Vietnam, France, or Cuba, drinking coffee is part of the daily routine. Often this involves a brief pause from work. (Even if you are Italian, throwing back your espresso while standing at the bar!) On April 19th the Bakke Coffee Museum will celebrate the Swedish coffee break tradition of Fika, which has long been essential to daily patterns of life in that northern country. At least once a day, more often twice, Swedish people pause from their jobs and studies to enjoy not only coffee, but also small treats and good conversation.
This time set aside to fika, or to have a fika has been going on pretty much as long as Swedish people have been drinking coffee, which is hundreds of years. The fika was especially important for rural communities, presenting a chance to pause from a long day's work. Many of these more out of the way places developed their own special fika traditions over time. One such place is the island of Uvlön, part of the Swedish archipelago in the Gulf of Bothnia.
The island of Uvlön has been an important fishing location since the 1500s. It is especially known for the fishing and fermentation of herring, producing the smelly delicacy called surströmming. This part of Sweden, along the northern part of the coastline, is sparsely inhabited. Uvlön is one of the larger communities, with a population of 40. All of the homes are situated along the edge of the coastline, and in front of each home is a boathouse, where the fishing boat is housed and the work of processing the fish is done.
On Uvlön the fika is part of the ever-repeated pattern of fishing, returning, and processing the caught fish. Historically, the fishermen set out their herring nets in the evening. Then the next day, they left early in the morning to pull in their catch. In the middle of the day, or early afternoon, the women of the community would go down to the dock of their boathouse to meet their boat as it came back. After years of repeating this work, the fisherwomen, the Uvlögumman, knew just when to expect the fishermen. After the boat was tied up, the fish were unloaded and cleaned. Then there was always a break for fika. Neighbors and family would gather together to share coffee and a traditional snack, such as an open-face sandwich or sometimes sweet rolls or cookies. Almost always there would be someone playing music on a guitar or accordion. On Uvlön the Fika has long been an important time to enjoy each others' company, to take pleasure in life, and a break from hard work. And it still is!
The coffee shared at fika in a place like Uvlön was usually boiled or made in a percolator. It was served piping hot, in a cup with a saucer. The saucer was an essential tool for drinking the coffee. Impatient for their coffee to cool down, drinkers often poured some out of their cups onto the flat surface of the saucer to help the coffee cool faster. Then they would place a cube of sugar between their teeth and suck the coffee down through it. A sweet, delicious, long-awaited first sip for the eager drinker! So if you want to have Fika the traditional way, you must have a coffee cup with a saucer, and some lumps of sugar.
Sweden also has a long tradition of wood carving. Many people are familiar with the traditional Dala horses, which are often beautifully painted with intricate designs. In Uvlön, carvings are often made of the fisherwoman, Uvlögumman, since her figure, wrapped in a cloak against the cold wind, waiting for the boat to return, is so emblematic of the place. To celebrate this unique cultural tradition we have two hand-carved Uvlögumman to give away at our April Fika.
We hope you can join us on Saturday, April 19th, from 11am to 2pm, for community, coffee and celebrating the tradition of Fika! Please RSVP here to help us prepare. We look forward to meeting you and hosting you at the Bakke Coffee Museum!
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