As a coffee lover, born, raised, and educated by my father
in this matter, a fika is something I thoroughly enjoy. Although they don’t
have a Starbucks or Big B’s on every corner, the Swedish realize the importance
of coffee and to my happiness usually cookies come with.
I say this with a BUT. To many in the States coffee is used
as a “pick me up”. You can’t start the morning without a grande mocha, my
favorite, or a tall coffee black. We use coffee for its caffeine to fuel us
through the day. Usually refueling multiple times.
Fika here is quite the opposite. It is used to slow things
down and to relax, to chat with friends or your dining partner. Fika is about
enjoying good company. Even my husband, who is not a coffee drinker at home,
enjoys a good fika.
At all of our meals coffee and cookies is included. At lunch
today we even had some Santa shaped marshmallow treat! After we enjoy our main
course, we are served with coffee, sugar cubes, and cream.
As a typical American, Rob will take four sugars and about a
½ cup of cream, while I go for about two sugars and maybe a ¼ cup of cream,
still a typical American. Surprisingly this is the time during the meal that we
talk the most, and laugh about the different things that happened during the
day.
I can’t say that back at home we will drink coffee and eat cookies
as much as we do here, but I hope that we will be able to take the essence of
fika time back home with us.
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