You would most often use it as a verb, for example: Smoothies, granola, muesli also make a nice mid-morning fika.
Fresh fruit, nuts, and whole-grain crackers are also great options to include. Avocado toast with sliced tomatoes, almond or peanut butter toast with honey and fresh fruit, or cheese toast with sliced cucumbers or radishes are all great ideas. If it’s everyday fika at home, you may want to alternate between baked goods and sandwiches. Flourless pear, almond, and cardamom cake (pictured below) (gluten-free and dairy-free).Swedish chocolate cake (kladdkaka) (egg-free).Cocoa-coconut bliss balls (gluten, dairy, and egg-free).Cardamom muffins (gluten-free & dairy-free).You can enjoy any snack that you like, but if you want to be very Swedish, make some cardamom or cinnamon buns, oat cookies, or open-faced cheese sandwiches on rye bread. Of course, in these health-conscious days kids are probably more often served plain water or milk unless it’s a special occasion. Hot cocoa is another delicious fika treat. Growing up my favorite kind was strawberry or elderflower. Traditionally kids in Sweden would drink “saft” during fika time, a sweetened drink made from fruit juice concentrate, homemade if you are lucky. Also, with fika you eat something, whereas here it is often just about the coffee. In fact, often the “break” part is totally skipped. While in theory both involve taking a break and caffeinating, in our American culture, a coffee break often means picking up a latte and bringing it back to your desk while you continue to work. How is fika different from a coffee break? While you can take a fika break on your own, most often it’s a social tradition enjoyed with others, whether family, co-workers, or friends. Here’s why you need this joy-bringing habit in your daily life.įika ( pronounced fee-ka) is the Swedish tradition of taking a break in one’s day to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and a little something to eat, usually a baked good or open-faced sandwich.