Like Swedes, sit down and enjoy coffee time

If Swedes are not crazy about religion, they should dedicate all their piety to "Fika" (coffee time).

If Swedes are not crazy about religion, they should dedicate all their piety to "Fika" (coffee time). When the Swede says "Let's fika" to you, it means that nothing matters right now. The important thing is to drop everything, have a cup of coffee (or tea), order a sweet pastry, and chat. You don't have to think of it as a trend, it's an immutable "ritual" in daily life.

Like all Swedes, food blogger Robert Kwok's daily life is inseparable from the "Fika" several times a day. Fika is both a delicious taste on the tip of the tongue and a spiritual experience. To act like a real Swede like Robert Kwok, start with Fika.

Robert Kwok loves the classic style of Wienercafe é et.

No one can tell where the word Fika came from. Anyway, it became popular at the beginning of the 20th century, and many new words have been derived from it. For example, "Fik" is the cafe where you enjoy Fika, "Fikarum" is the space for employees to enjoy Fika in the company, and "Fikasugen" means: Oh, my God! I have a strong desire to Fika right now.

Cafe Pascal is a popular spot, and the coffee produced here can stand the test of any picky.

Often a cup of coffee and freshly baked pastry constitute a period of Fika taken away from the world. Many people do not know that Sweden is the second largest consumer of coffee in the world after Finland. Every day, we drink an average of 3.5 cups of coffee. When coffee came to Sweden in 1685, it was first sold in pharmacies. It was not until the end of the 19th century that coffee entered the life of the public, rather than being the monopoly of the upper class. Swedes love strong black coffee, but a balanced taste is also very important.

Johan & Nystro m is a real expert on coffee and tea.

In the last three years, I especially like freshly brewed coffee, which well restores the taste of different kinds of coffee beans. One of the most popular coffee beans today comes from Honduras. It has the perfect aroma of citrus, chocolate and caramel. You will also find something unexpected when tasting Swedish coffee, because the pure water makes the taste of Swedish coffee very soft. Of course, coffee is not a must for Fika. You can use tea or fruit juice instead.

Another essential partner of Fika is delicious snacks. For people like me who don't like sweet and greasy tastes, cinnamon rolls go perfectly with coffee. My obsession with cinnamon rolls has been around since I was a child, watching my mother roll the dough into a delicate shape, mix frosting and cinnamon powder, and bake it on the fermented dough to make a glowing taste-like chocolate, cinnamon rolls seem to have their own sweet fantasy space. At Vete-Katten, which opened in 1928, you will experience the classic look of Fika, where sparkling cinnamon rolls and warm old times in glass cabinets can melt.

The status of cinnamon rolls in Sweden is so unshaken that the Swedish Family Bakery Committee (Swedish Home Baking Council) invented Cinnamon Roll Day in 1999. Samra (Semla) is also a good partner of Fika, mixing cream and almond paste on a bread clip. We eat Samra from January to Easter, and like cinnamon rolls, it has its own holidays. Bright green princess cake (Prinsess Cake) is also a common choice-this cake decorated with pink sugar roses has multiple layers of yellow sponge cake, with jam and vanilla milk cake in the middle, covered with thick cream, and then carefully wrapped in a thin layer of green almond sugar.

One cinnamon roll, one Samra, plus coffee, is the perfect Fika.

My favorite cafe, Taxinge Slott, which drives dessert fans crazy, is a few miles from Stockholm and is famous for having the biggest dessert buffet in northern Europe. This castle has all the pastries and sandwiches you can think of without any artificial additives. It is delicious enough to make New Yorkers and Parisians sad. My wife and I drive there every year, but the best way is to take a boat from downtown Stockholm to this sweet castle after shuttling between the beautiful bay and the archipelago.

Taxinge Slott's dessert buffet

It's like taking a boat to Fika. Fika means a real rest, you can chat with friends and colleagues, or it can be your own meditation and free time. You can spend five minutes on Fika, or you can spend hours on it, whether it's in a cafe, office, home or a sunny summer outdoors.

Everyone loves the bright space and family atmosphere of Cafe Pascal.

The Fika session is even written in black and white in every Swedish company's policy, usually at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. For some who question the efficiency of this way of working, a survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2014 may answer the question. After analyzing the productivity of 38 countries, OECD found that Swedes ranked 11th in terms of productivity, followed by neighboring Norway, which drinks coffee, and hardworking Americans ranked fourth, far higher than Japan (20th) and South Korea (30th), which are famous for their long working hours. Another level of analysis is that perhaps because Swedish companies are more horizontally managed, superiors need to listen directly to subordinates, while Fika provides a free and open space for discussion.

Fika provides a free and open discussion space.

When people in international cities such as New York and Shanghai are used to ordering a cup of coffee to take away, drinking and walking, we choose to press the pause button for life through coffee, snacks and small talk. Nowadays, cafes with the concept of Fika have become a new trend in many international cities. It's not just sitting down and enjoying a cup of coffee and a few cakes, but hiding the Swede's understanding of life: "stop for a second and see what happens to the world."

Go Fika!

Caf è Pascal

Within a short time of opening, it has become a popular gathering point for hipsters in the city. The coffee here can withstand any picky test, and the coffee beans come from small boutique bakeries all over Sweden.

For coffee lovers, Cafe è Pascal is a must in Stockholm. Of course, everyone loves the bright space and family atmosphere here.

Web site: cafepascal.se

Kaffeverket

Smiling baristas, warm atmosphere and absolutely mellow coffee are just a few of the many highlights of Kaffeverket. This cafe has been at the top of the Swedish "Michelin Guide" White Guide Caf é list for many years. There is a strong community atmosphere, with mothers with children and nearby freelancers.

There is a strong atmosphere in the Kaffeverket community, with guests ranging from housewives living nearby to freelancers.

White ceramic tile walls, black ceiling lights, a large area of gray-green tones to create an earth-like down-to-earth atmosphere. Brunch and Fika menus are great, with a wide selection of breads, cakes, sandwiches and salads. Everything uses good ingredients and is super fresh.

Web site: kaffeverket.nu

Johan & Nystrom

This is almost the most successful new coffee brand in Sweden. it not only has a coffee shop, but also a supplier of coffee and tea from many Swedish cafes. They personally select high-quality coffee beans from major coffee producers in the world and are real experts in coffee and tea.

Everyone in the shop assistant is a knowledgeable barista and is more than happy to talk to guests about coffee. Basically, there is nothing wrong with clicking "Choice of the week". The brand also has a space JN At Work that combines offices and cafes, which can be rented by the hour and the whole month.

Web site: johanochnystrom.se

Vete-Katten

If you are interested in Fika culture, this is a worthwhile pilgrimage stop. The old shop opened in 1928, and you can't miss out on classic Swedish snacks, cakes and cookies.

Compared with the cold and breezy Nordic cafes, this is more like my grandmother's living room. Guests around both the elderly and nostalgic young people, weekends will become very crowded, it is recommended to go on weekdays.

Web site: vetekatten.se

Wienercafe é et

The Wienercafe et on Library Street is exquisite and luxurious.

On Library Street (Biblioteksgatan), which is full of luxury boutiques, you will find Wienercafe é et inspired by Paris and Vienna. It is one of the exquisite and luxurious cafes (and, of course, one of the most expensive in Stockholm), with beautiful antique crystal lamps and the atmosphere of the 1920s. Perfect pastries and champagne are definitely the best way to relax after shopping.

Web site: wienercafeet.som

Writing / Robert Kwork

Translator / Percy

Photography / Ming Tang Evans

Original editor / Charlene

Wechat Editor / Aileen, Pan Chengyan (internship)