Research brief - The little book of fika - Lynda Balslev

swedes are good at many things, but if theres one thing they do exceptionally well its enjoy their coffee. Not only do they imbibe the brew, they insist upon at least one if not two coffee breaks a day, which they call Fika. This ritual is at the core of Swedish culture, and while Fika literally means 'coffee' r 'to have coffee' it also represents a happy moment, a time to slow down and focus on simple pleasures - in the form of a coffee, cake, and chat.

How did Fika begin?

lucky 7

Sju Sorters Kako (seven types of cakes) is a popular domestic book from the 1940s, with which every Swede is familiar. Seven was deemed the magic number of cakes to serve for Fika. Six cakes were considered too stingy, eight cakes were considered too showy, while seven cakes were-you guessed it-lagom. Today you likely wont encounter seven treats unless it's in a more formal setting, but the concept remains, that the amount to be served should be just right.

After Finland and the Netherlands, Swedes are the top consumers of coffee in the world. Swedes drink an average of 18 pounds of coffee per person, per year.

Fika time lasts an average of twenty-four minutes each day for those not working and twelve minutes a day for those at work.

coffee refills are free in most swedish cafes

Sweden allows up to 480 days of maternity and paternity leave for families. Fathers on paternity leave who meet for fika with their babies in tow are called latte papas.

The town of Alingsas, claims to be the fika capital of Sweden, with more than 30 cafes

17% of Stockholmers claim to fika at least twice a day

fikabröd are the freshly baked goods that accompany coffee

Swedes in the west of the country fika more than any other Swede, amounting to a total of eleven days' worth of solid coffee drinking each year per person