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Of course I have to start with this one in our series of Swedish Word of the Week (SWOW). This is probably the most important Swedish word you will ever learn! Okay, maybe that sounds a little ridiculous and far fetched but so much revolves around the tradition of Fika.
Let’s start with the meaning of Fika. Fika is coffee time that is almost always accompanied with some sort of sweet treat, whether that be a cookie, bun, or even seven different kinds of treats! I don’t believe I met a single Swede that didn’t observe this…usually twice a day. Typically you have fika at 11 am and 3 pm. Most drink coffee (strong and black) but some do drink tea and kids usually have saft. (a type of juice, sort of)
It is very common to invite someone over for fika. It’s a very casual way to invite someone over, have coffee and sweets and talk about the day or catch up with an old friend. And you know that if you are invited over at 11 am or 3 pm, you will be served with coffee. My husband’s maternal grandparents would have us over and she observed the “Sju sorter kakor“, which simply means Seven Types of Cakes (or cookies). The table was “dukad” with the best tablecloth and the finest china was used when we would come and visit. She had several kinds of cookies, “vetebröd” (pastry made with yeast), open-faced sandwiches, and the grand finale, a cake. Almost all of the goodies were made from scratch. And buying store bought was often considered cheating.
Fika is such an important thread in the Swedish culture…it keeps communication alive, keeps people connected.
Here’s a few books you can read to learn more!
English