Fika: The Art of The Swedish Coffee Break, with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats (15 page)

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ust as fika is an excuse to take a moment to celebrate the everyday, it’s also a crucial part of actual
celebrations, from birthdays to Christmas. Dressed up with a few special baked goods, fika can be a party.

The custom of
namsdagar
originates from the Christian calendar of saints. Every saint had his or her own feast day, and those named after a certain saint also celebrate on that day. Nowadays, the Swedish calendar has been adapted to incorporate many more modern names that don’t necessarily have saintly roots, but the celebration part of the tradition still holds, and a name day is almost like an extra birthday (without the stress and anxiety of turning yet another year older!). You might get a
grattis på namsdagen
, or “happy name day,” card from your grandmother, or a call from your parents, or an invitation to afternoon fika from a friend. Because it’s celebratory, a good name day fika goes above and beyond the classic kanelbullar. You’re celebrating, after all, so this is a day for tortes and cakes like
prinsesstårta
(see
below
).

No one can resist Swedish bakery windows in the late winter and early spring. This is the time of the
semla
, a glorious combination of a sweet flour bun, almond paste, and whipped cream. Traditionally made for Fettisdagen, Fat Tuesday, semlor can nowadays be found in Swedish cafés and bakeries all through the early months of the year, from the beginning of the New Year through the end of March.

In a country that is dark and cold for much of the year, it should come as no surprise that the Swedes like to celebrate the sun. As such, the tradition of midsommar, celebrating the summer solstice, is as important to Swedes as Christmas and Easter. At midsommar, the longest day of the year, it barely gets dark, and in the north of Sweden, the sun doesn’t even set. This leaves room for an all-day and all-night party. Many towns and communities host a day full of events, including dancing around the
midsommarstång
, similar to a maypole, to traditional Swedish songs.

Then comes the food. Most Swedes host or attend some sort of a dinner party, held around a long table outside, even if it’s chilly. Pickled herring and new potatoes are served in abundance, and the aquavit and beer flow freely.

Then comes the dessert, an assortment of the best that the season has to offer. The cakes and cookies take a festive form, much like at Christmas, and the treats that you find on the table aren’t those of the everyday. The first and foremost midsommar dessert dish is strawberries
served with a bowl of whipped cream. Those who have time may bake a
jordgubbstårta
(strawberry cake), layering a sponge cake with the whipped cream and strawberries. But if you aren’t in the mood to serve a cake, we recommend a batch of
Ginger Meringues
with strawberries and a little whipped cream. You’ll also want to have a round of strong coffee to get you through the nightlong affair.

A classic Swedish birthday party, called
kalas
, almost always involves some sort of tårta, be it a prinsesstårta or other beautiful torte layered with whipped cream. If you’re lucky, there will be an assortment of cookies and candies as well. Swedish birthday cakes and tortes always feature whipped cream in lieu of the sugary frosting popular in other parts of the world. Even when the party is too big and there’s no time to make a cake, whipped cream still manages to make its way into the picture, in the form of
marängsviss
, meringues topped off with whipped cream and chocolate sauce to make the ultimate Swedish sundae.

In the midst of a cold and dark winter, December is a monthlong excuse to warm up with good food and drink. Christmas celebrations and preparation happen throughout December, and there are plenty of moments to celebrate. Just as the seven kinds of cookies are essential to an official cookie platter,
julbak
(Christmas baking) is a must during December. Even
Swedes who rarely get out the mixing bowls try their hand at a
pepparkaka
or two this time of year. The smell of spices is indicative of the season, and as you sit in a warm kitchen in front of a plate of Christmas cookies with an
Advent candelabrum in the window, you simply wouldn’t want to be elsewhere.

Leading up to Christmas, Swedes celebrate the four Sundays of Advent, lighting an additional candle in the Advent candelabrum every weekend and serving up a tray of goodies. The fika of the season is called
adventskaffe
(Advent coffee), which is a gathering of friends and family every Sunday during December. In the late afternoon you come together to enjoy some
julbakelser
(Christmas baked goods) and a mug of
glögg
(mulled wine), or coffee. You can’t say no to a tradition that has you eating goodies all through the month of December, and hosting an adventskaffe is a sure sign that you are embracing Swedish tradition. Common offerings are saffron buns and
pepparkakor
, a glorious blend of colors when they are laid out next to each other—the yellow saffron buns pairing well with the dark brown of the spice-filled gingersnaps. Also known as
lussekatter
, saffron buns are the signature baked good of December 13, the day for the St. Lucia celebration. In many ways, this is the kickoff to the Christmas season, and the julbakelser come in a steady stream from here to Christmas Day.

The drink of choice for the month of December? Coffee is always an excellent pairing, but since you’re celebrating the season, you might as well go for
glögg
, the Swedish mulled wine that’s served this time of year. It’s warm and spicy and makes your house smell just like December should. Not in the mood to host a party? Pour yourself a cup of coffee, put a lussekatt on a wooden tray, light a candle, and curl up on the couch. December is meant for feeling cozy.

Along with the traditional
julbord
(Christmas table) spread of pickled herring, ham, potatoes, and many other seasonal delights, Christmas Eve has plenty of room for baked goods. A cup of glögg may be served with a slice of
Saffron Cake with Almond Paste
, and for dessert, delicate
Almond Tartlet Shells
are topped off with berry jam and whipped cream. With so many tasty concoctions available, don’t feel bad about eating them all day long, or even kicking the day off with a festive cookie-and-glögg-fueled breakfast.