During our travels, we often heard about the incredible coffee culture of the countries we visited. Although sometimes overrated, three years in Sweden have shown us that this statement does indeed apply to the Scandinavian country. Indeed, there is a special relationship between Sweden and Coffee.

One thing you should know about the Swedes is that they LOVE their coffee, especially high-quality and ethically sourced ones. Long, dark, rainy winters, yes, but without a litre of coffee a day? Absolutely not! Take it away from them and you risk a revolution. Actually, this coffee addiction is so serious that Sweden is one of the top 10 coffee consumers in the entire world. But why do people in Sweden love coffee so much, and what is so special about their coffee culture? Let me show you what we discovered during our years in Sweden.

The fika concept, or how coffee in Sweden is more than just a drink

If the coffee break is not a big deal for you, you might change your mind really quickly once you’ve set foot in Sweden. It even has its own name that you can use both as a noun and a verb: “Fika“. When coming across trays, mugs, tea towels or T-shirts stamped “Fika”, one could even think it borders insanity. But Fika is so special that it doesn’t even have a literal translation. Picture this: a coffee break with a sweet treat, used as an occasion to socialize and breathe out.

Though less ritualised than the famous British afternoon tea, fika is definitely a national institution and plays a big part in Swedish culture. In fact, fika is all about the spirit and less about the rules:

• Replace the coffee by any other warm drink
• Pick any sweet or savoury treat you fancy (or none at all)
• Do it at home, at the office, in a coffee shop or even at the park
• Do it in the morning or in the afternoon

It’s all up to you as long as you come with the right mindset!

And it is true that hearing one of your friends saying “Let’s do a fika break” has something almost magical. Even more so if you hear this at work or at university. From a quick ten-minute catch-up to an hour of procrastination, it always announces your way out of a boring task.

You get it now, fika is the embodiment of Swedish coffee culture and a simple, yet very efficient way to brighten your day. In the end, fika is even more Swedish than ABBA.

Five coffees a day keep depression away

Beyond the cultural explanation, Swedes’ obsession with coffee also comes from the gloomy rainy weather they experience from October to March. We felt its effects first-hand. After weeks of not seeing the sun, hidden beyond a thick layer of clouds, we caught ourselves going from one to three cups a day.

It is true that living in constant darkness for several months is depressing. Imagine that:

You wake up at 7 am, and it’s dark. You arrive at the office at 9.00 and some sort of light barely appears behind your window. At 16.00, it’s dark again, and you feel like giving it all up to go back to bed. But you still need to work for a few more hours, then go home, cook, clean…

At this point, you NEED something to power through.

While some people, especially teenagers, choose Nocco as their go-to (an energy drink), most people prefer coffee. It makes sense, right? It’s warm, comes in a wide range of varieties, gives you energy and can be consumed in cute, candle-lit cafés. You can read more about our favourite cafés right here. To sum up, coffee is cosy. And cosy is definitely what you need during a Swedish winter.

Although the love affair between coffee and Swedes may seem surprising, it’s actually quite logical and quite nice. So whether you’re a coffee aficionado or a novice, visiting Sweden will certainly make you rethink your relationship with coffee. For better or for worse…