What is fika?

Trying to define fika can be a bit of a struggle. It’s a noun, it’s a verb, and it’s something of a ritual for Swedes.

Pronounced ‘fee-ka’, it tends to be synonymous with drinking coffee (or tea) alongside something to eat (usually sweet).

Swedes prefer not to translate the word fika. They don’t want it to lose significance and become a mere coffee break.

— sweden.se, part of the Swedish Institute.
Illustration of various blue and black coffee pots and makers.

That being said, scoffing a muffin with your to-go coffee on your rushed morning commute wouldn’t really fit what we’re going for here. This is reflected in the language that’s built up around the concept of fika – a fikapaus (fika-pause), kafferast (coffee-rest) or fikarast (fika-rest).

But, when it comes to fika, there’s no real hard and fast rules. If you prefer having something savoury and accidentally have your fikapaus turn into a lazy lunch, nobody will mind. Or you’re sneaking in a coffee break with your colleagues in between those boring meetings. Maybe you’re having a morning cup of coffee and doom-scrolling on Twitter before leaving for work. You say you were drinking coffee and ate a whole tin of pepparkakor with friends after midnight last night? Yeah, you guessed it – that still counts.

Illustration of a slice of kladdkaka sitting on an orange plate. Behind it is a floral glass of water.

Want the TL:DR? In short, fika is so important to us Swedes because it’s a chance to take a break and enjoy the moment. Whether that’s with or without company, with something to eat or not – we leave that up to you!