The Little Book of Fika: The Uplifting Daily Ritual of the Swedish Coffee Break

by Lynda Balslev

A little book on the Swedish tradition of fika— the twice-daily coffee break—including facts, quotes, tips, and 20 sweet and savory recipes. 

While the Danish concept of hygge as caught on around the globe, so has lagom— its Swedish counterpart. An essential part of the lagom lifestyle, fika  is the simple art of taking a break—sometimes twice a day—to enjoy a warm beverage and sweet treat with friends. This delightful gift book offers an introduction to the tradition along with recipes to help you establish your own fika  practice.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Lifestyle, Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Health

160 pages, Hardcover

Published February 6, 2018

Reviews

[chantel nouseforaname · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute. Made me want a coffee really badly. Love the layout.

There's something about going through these overly-designed, kinda kitschy, little books about specific practices and traditions that I find adds to my general feels of happiness. It's a fun, cute alternative to the heavy shit out there in the world and it reminds you to take care of yourself and inject a little light and a little joy into your life.

[Iva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a feel good, cute, little book it made me feel nice I would like to try the recipes and I will certainly write a longer review: https://sisterdelightbookcaffe.blogsp...

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cutesy book, in similar vein to The Little Book of Hygge. Even though it's by different authors, you wouldn't know as they share the same size hard cover with the same type of graphics. It's a very short read comprised of an explanation on Fika (mainly the history and how-to), quite a few recipes, along with many graphics and quotes about coffee and taking the time to enjoy some relaxation. The whole book is a good reminder to take some time for self-care throughout the day, even if it's just 5 minutes with a hot cuppa and something sweet. It's not really rocket science, but in this fast paced environment, particularly now during the end of year frenzy, it's nice to be reminded that breaks are essential.

[Sharon Huether · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little of of Swedish coffee breaks, twice a day. This book is full of coffee saying and recipes of sweet and savory food to go with coffee.

Coffee was introduced in Sweden in the 1600, via trade with the Ottoman Empire. The King taxed coffee. The ban was lifted in 1823.

"Fika is an expression of contentment, finding balance during the day in the pleasure of sipping a cup of coffee".

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read explaining the tradition of Swedish coffee breaks and a handful of recipes to go along with your fika. Everyone should take time out of their day to enjoy a coffee break with friends.

[Kuszma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amikor először megláttam a kötetet, arra gondoltam: szívás, hogy a svédek pont úgy nevezték el a kávészertartásukat, ahogy mi magyarok hívjuk azt az időtöltést, amivel például a négyéves kisfiúk olyan elmélyülten tudnak bíbelődni. Aztán átfutottam a kötetet, és arra jutottam, alkalmasint ez az egyetlen dolog, ami miatt érdemes volt megjelentetni. Amúgy meg csak egy újabb lehúzott bőr erről a Hygge-mániáról, amelynek keretében önsegítő könyvek tucatjai keresik a választ az egymillió dolláros kérdésre: MIÉRT JÓ A SKANDINÁVOKNAK? Merthogy ugye a skandinávoknak jó. Hideg van ugyan, drága a sör és kemények a krimik, de mégis: jó. Itt Magyarországon meg kellemesen kontinentális az időjárás, 130 a Kozel, csodálatos a közbiztonság (bemondta a rádió!) – de valamiért mégsem jó. Hát hogy a toszomba lehetséges ez??? Én nem tudom. De ezek a szerzők tudják. És megmondják. Jó pénzért.

Ez az izé ugyanis 3.150 jó magyar forintba' fáj. Cserébe annyit tudhatunk meg belőle, hogy a svédeknek például azért jó, mert odafigyelnek a kávéra. (Ez amúgy azért is praktikus, mert így nem isszuk le az ingünket.) És (ez lényeges!) esznek hozzá édes süteményt. Ennyike. Ezen múlik. Rohadjon meg a társadalmi szolidaritás, a magas életszínvonal meg a többi süptürüpü ott, ahol van, igyon mindenki kávét és egyen hozzá édes süteményt, máris kész a világbéke. Tessék, elmondtam a titkot. És pénzt se kértem érte. Afrancba.

(Ja, amúgy persze van még benne más is, hogy kigyüjjön* az oldalszám. Receptek. Motivációs idézetek. Például van benne egy motivációs idézet Virginia Woolftól. Aki ugye öngyilkos lett. Kissé morbid.)

Na, ennyit akartam mondani. Mi ez a molyolás még mindig? Húzzon mindenki kávéért.

* Bocs a tájszólásért, ha indulatba jövök, néha kijön belőlem.

[Kathy Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is literally a little book. I liked 2 things about this book. It was quick and to the point and it included recipes for drinks and sweets so if the mood strikes you, you can fika just like the Swedes do.

[Nisa Genç · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a really little book that can be read over a fika :) the thing i like about it is that it is kept simple & has a good balance of explaining fika and helping you have your own fika with the help of recipes.

[Kimberlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading and really fun! Maybe found a few recipes to try as well.

[Prajakta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fika (fee-ka) is a social coffee break with one's colleagues, friends, date or family.
It is usually accompanied with sweet baked goods.
It can be a noun (let's have fika) or a verb ( shall we fika?) describing the act.
✨
The Book tells us about this uplifting daily ritual of the Swedish Coffee Break and the essentials we need to follow to enjoy it ourselves!
✨
FIKA 101
1. SET THE TIME - It's important to fix a time for the break and dedicate it to only one thing.
2. ADJUST YOUR MINDSET - The place and time isn't important, what is crucial is your mindset.
3. BREW THE BREW - Coffee isn't a mandatory drink. It can be anything. If you love tea, why not drink Tea!
✨
The book contains a variety of recipes of Coffees as well as its accompaniments such as sandwiches and buns!
A lot of Coffee and Life quotes and proverbs sprinkled all over the book making it a feel good read!
✨
I am glad to have known about this Swedish way of enjoying quality time with their loved ones and I am happy that I unknowingly was practising the same since long!
✨
Though the book doesn't offer anything out of the box, it's a quick little, feel good book for anyone who's interested in knowing different countries and their lifestyles!

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a coffee table or gift book. It's aesthetically beautifully, even in the electronic format.

Quite simply, the content was not at all what I was expecting.
The beginning portion had a description of fika. I suppose there's not a lot to say about what fika is, but I guess I was expecting a little more detail about the culture surrounding fika.
Then the book felt padded with lots of pages of quotes about drinking coffee. This cheapened the reading experience for me.
And then, it shifted to (a large portion of the book) recipes for treats to go along with fika (coffee). These were useful, but based on the book descriptions it's not what I was expecting.

[Brooks Lemmon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure what more I expected from a tiny ebook on getting coffee with friends. I wasn’t very impressed, but I’m still giving it 2 stars for a couple pull quotes that were honestly a bit moving. “Coffee is more than just a drink; it’s something happening.” This might seem like a dumb quote to many, but I resonate with this on a deep level.

Well this is the end of my weekend trip through Europe. I’ve learned a lot, but I’ve decided that I’ll just stick to enjoying the Sabbath with my friends. It wraps up hygge, lykke, cosy, and fika all into one day for the glory of God!

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this little book! It's the perfect length for a double Sunday morning coffee break.
I love coffee and can sometimes feel bad about my consumption. But this lovely book remind me that yeah coffee is more than just a boost ... sit back and enjoy it!
Some of the recipe's are on the to bake list after reading this book for my Sunday's bake.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little book with quotes and sayings pertaining to coffee, fika, lagom, and enjoying life. Contains recipes for drinks and food. Very "in" right now, very timely, and worth flipping through (will take maybe 20 mins)!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is SO CUTE! I've made Fika one of my words of 2020 ,and planning to implement it and its ideas in my daily life. I will be referring back to this a lot. Lots of great quotes, pretty pages, great recipes!

[Noninuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short & concise book about one of the cultural aspect of Swedish people. Included in the book are recipes for drinks & pastries that suitable for Fika (me: definitely going to try the cinnamon roll!).

[Wilma Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because I wanted to connect with my Swedish roots. Also, I love a good coffee break ritual! There are some great recipes in here.

[Mariana Quesada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and to the point. Explains the concept of fika, followed by recipes to follow for said activity .... or more like inactivity. Complemented by cute phrases regarding this topic.

[Raya Sun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I connected with this book on a soulful, spiritual level.
It's not just the coffee. . .it's the ritual of coffee.
Mindfulness.
Presence.
Contentment in simple pleasures.

[Denise L · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little book that introduces the reader to fika, little quotes and some recipes. I will be trying some of the recipes this week.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute little book!

As someone learning the Swedish language as well as Swedish customs, this book brought a smile to my face and gave me some lovely fika ideas!

[hazelnuttoffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follows the aesthetic of Scandinavian culture. A brief history of fika followed by a series of delicious treats to augment your own fika.

The recipes all make me salivate. The key is how simple they are and how basic the ingredients are. This emphasizes that not more than the basics are necessary to create and elevate your experience. Less is more.

Would be a nice gift for a friend or family member.

[Amalfi Disla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Que libro tan bonito y con una muy buena filosofía. Es una edición hermosa, llena de ilustraciones, frases y hasta recetas.

Solo siento que falto un poco más de historia y profundidad del tema y su aplicación en otros países. Pero es un buen inicio para motivarnos a fika ☕️

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.0/5
Extremely underwhelming. Half of the book consists of quotations. The other half of recipes. To fika itself was not a lot of information, which should have taken up the majority of the book, in my opinion. Not worth the purchase!

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute quick read, lots of quotes

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just a cookbook but an explanation of a bit of Swedish psyche.

[Monica Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, now I have to take a trip to Sweden. This sounds amazing!!!

[Auroch · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0/5 Given how much I liked 'the Little Book of Hygge' this seemed like a natural follow up on what's been described as its Swedish counterpart; however, while there are some similarities between hygge and fika this book is actually set up very differently. Instead of mostly being about the atmosphere and activities that define fika, this is mostly a recipe book peppered with feel good quotes and an interesting forward of sorts about the history of fika and its culinary associations in Sweden. But while I liked the introduction about how fika came to be part of Swedish culture, an interesting story involving a lot of cross-continental exchanges and viking travels, the rest couldn't help but feel a bit like a bait-n-switch by comparison as the quotes and recipes took up two-thirds of the book. Perhaps this came down to a title that could have been worded better, but I'd only recommend this to aspiring fika cooks as opposed to people interested in the concept.

[Indy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fell in love with the concepts of Fika and Lagom when I first visited Stockholm two years ago. Therefore, I bought this little book immediately when I saw the title, matched with a delightful blue cover.

When it comes to simple pleasures, a cup of coffee and a sweet treat can’t be beat. The Swedes embrace this pleasure with their daily ritual of fika, or coffee break, where the notion of slowing down and taking a moment to relax and sip a cup of coffee is essential to their culture, their daily rhythm - and quite likely their happiness. Learn more about this tradition and how to achieve the skills of simplicity, Swedish-style, with tips and recipes in The Little Book of Fika.

[nevrstopsmilin]

“in many cultures, the notion of drinking coffee is active and frenetic. a cuppa joe is grabbed on the go, in a take-out cup, meant to be gulped while multitasking. it’s considered an energizer, a means to infuse a jolt of caffeine into the system and to rock and roll. swedish fika is quite the opposite. it’s a moment to relax and reflect, connect with friends and family, nature, or oneself. the coffee ritual is at the core of swedish culture, and it represents a state of contentment that is quintessentially swedish.”

“in short, fika is an expression of contentment, finding balance during the day in the pleasure of sipping a cup of coffee. it doesn’t get any simpler than that.”