"Ska vi Fika?": Shall we Fika?

in Stockholm, Sweden

"Ska vi Fika?" meaning "Shall we Fika? carries far more social significance than the corresponding English phrase "Do you want to grab a cup of coffee?". It's simpler, but it manages to say more. It isn't just about coffee, and Swedes know that. Instead, if you're asking to Fika, you're really saying, "Let's take a break. Let's slow down, catch up, and enjoy a moment together."

You can’t spend a day in Sweden without hearing someone say "FIKA." Used both as a verb and a noun, Fika – pronounced FEE-KAH is the Swedish word for coffee break. But it's just not a generic term, it encapsulates an integral part of Swedish culture that dates back centuries.

The word fika was first recorded more than 110years ago. It is actually a slang term for "coffee" that's been around since the 19th century. The Swedish word for coffee - kaffi, was inverted to fika, and then fika, and there you have it! It's been a part of the language and culture ever since. You might say something like, "It was good to fika with you!"

Coffee is to the Swedes what wine is to the French. No matter the occasion, the Swedes are always drinking coffee.

Fika is the thread that weaves Swedish social customs together, and it's the ultimate nod to the idea of slow living. In our fast-paced world, where we are constantly on deadlines or planning our schedules around meetings and events, we crave opportunities to slow down. Swedes especially Stockholmers actually embrace those opportunities.

In Sweden, fika is a whole concept, it’s a state of mind. Instead of giving you a boost to speed things up, it's all about slowing things down for a while and taking the time to savour a great cup of coffee.

It usually involves a sweet treat, most frequently Cinnamon roll – Kanelbulle or Cardamom roll – Kardamummabulle. What's distinctly Swedish isn’t that Swedes are drinking coffee or eating rye bread. It's how they are doing it!

Now couple of recommendations from me:

Café Pascal, Stockholm

Café Pascal is the biggest passion project of Arman, Hosep and Jannet Seropian, three siblings from Armenia. Coffee is an integral part of their culture back home, so they named the café after Pascal Harutiun, an Armenian Parisian who opened one of the Europe’s first coffee shops in 1672.

Café Pascal probably serves the best coffee in Stockholm.  In 2019, this coffee place won the prestigious ‘Gulddraken’ award for the best café in the city. Located near Odenplan station, it is a convenient walk for the visitors, else it’s a short couple subway stops away from the old town.

Vete-Katten, Stockholm

Vete-Katten was founded in 1928 by a driven lady named Ester Nordhammar. At that time, few businesses were run by women, and even fewer pastry shops. Ester, who was 42 years old, had a lot of work experience, but she had barely set foot in a bakery. Her idea was to start a simple patisserie where everyone was welcome, "decorated like a priest's home", as someone said, with pastries, bread and buns of the highest quality. And then there was the thing about the name. Why are they called Vete-Katten? Well, it is said that the name came about after Ester was asked what her patisserie should be called, and then replied "Yes, the cat knows that".

After the ownership of this legendary patisserie changed many times over the past century, master pastry chef Johan Sandelin took over. He has worked in the company since 1997 and is thus a guarantee that the spirit of Ester and Vete-Katten lives on to this day.

Special mention:

One of the best places to experience Fika is not even in Sweden & my Dutch friends can check out Scandinavian Embassy in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. They’ve mouthwatering Scandi treats along with super special coffees from Koppi Roasters; Drop Coffee & Coffee Collective, all top-of-the-line Nordic Roasters!

Coffee Trivia: Finns consume 12 kg per person of coffee annually. The rest of the Nordics are not far behind this either. Norwegians consume 10 kg per person per year; Sweden 8 kg; Denmark 8.7 kg and Iceland 9 kg. Nordics people really love their hot beverages! Along with The Netherlands at 8.4 kg, they complete the Top 6 countries on coffee per capita per year.

To all my friends from India, Wishing you a very Happy and Scintillating Diwali with your loved ones and yes, it’s the ideal time for Fika anywhere!