FIKA

Sweden is a coffee-loving nation. In fact, the concept of having a coffee break with something sweet is so deeply rooted in Swedish everyday life, there is even a special word for it: Fika. Let’s dive into this cultural phenomenon, which has found its way around the globe, and learn about its associated baking traditions.

THE CONCEPT OF SWEDISH “FIKA” FROM GOTHENBURG TO TOKYO

In the early 2000s, Scandinavian cuisine rose in popularity beyond the Nordics, establishing itself on the global food scene. An international interest in ‘fika’ soon followed suit. Beyond a passing trend, the enduring and far-flung popularity of this new, Nordic coffee experience can be found in cafés in New York, Tokyo, Taipei and as far as Melbourne in Australia.

The Social Importance Of Fika

For Swedes, fika is more than just a regular coffee break with a sweet treat. Rather than a purely culinary tradition, it is a social phenomenon that brings people together regardless of their background or circumstances. This social aspect is just as important as the tempting combination of hot coffee and sweet pastry.

‘Having a fika’ together is considered as quality bonding time, be it with family, friends, or coworkers. At work, many important discussions and major decisions are made over a fika or at the coffee machine. In fact, in a Swedish workplace, fika might be one of the most important meetings you have during your day! So great is its cultural dominance, our international colleagues say fika is one of the first Swedish words they learn.

”BUDAPESTRULLE”

Featured products

BAKELS LES FRUITS RASPBERRY

Raspberry filling with 70% fruit.

881510 - 6 kg pail

BAKELS CHOCKEX PREMIUM DARK

With a rich taste of dark chocolate.

520812 / 520811 - 12,5 kg, 25 kg bag

USE BAKELS PRODUCTS FOR THE PERFECT HYGGE-FIKA

”SKOLEBRØD”

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BAKELS SOFT DOUGH CONCENTRATE

A concentrate for sweet doughs. Gives volume and softness.

374210 - 20 kg bag

BAKELS CUSTARD K

Instant complete cold process vanilla custard mix.

336915 / 336917 - 25 kg, 12,5 kg bag

”TEBIRKES”

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BAKELS SEMLA FILLING VICTORIA

With almond paste and toasted, chopped almonds (9,5%)

575611 - 14 kg pail

BAKELS SOFT DOUGH CONCENTRATE

A concentrate for sweet doughs. Gives volume and softness.

374210 - 20 kg bag

AROMATIC EGGIN

Glazing agent for sweet dough, puff pasties, cookies etc.

449713 - 10 kg bag

”NAPOLEON”

Featured products

BAKELS CUSTARD K

Instant complete cold process vanilla custard mix.

336915 / 336917 - 25 kg, 12,5 kg bag

BAKELS LES FRUITS RASPBERRY

Raspberry filling with 70% fruit.

881510 - 6 kg pail

Every year, Fat Tuesday, or Semmeldagen, as the Swedes like to call it, falls on the seventh week before Easter. In Sweden, it’s considered the national day of Sweden’s popular pastry, the semla.

The tradition is centuries old but the day and perhaps most importantly, the pastry, seem to be getting more popular by the year. Although new creative variations of the semla are introduced every season, the classic two-layer bun made of wheat and cardamom, stuffed with almond paste under a cover of thick layered whipped cream is in many ways considered holy to the Swedes. It’s no wonder that an estimated 6 million semlor are sold in one single day during Fat Tuesday. But the Semla season actually starts right after Christmas and during these months an estimated 40 million semlor are sold. For a small population of just 10 million people, that is an obscene amount of semlor.

How to eat a semla

Start with the lid. Use it to scoop up some of the gooey contents. Proceed with the rest of the bun. The carnal eat it shamelessly straight from hand-to-mouth. The refined like to fork-it. Bohemians do it with a spoon. Tourists do it with confusion. And traditionalists order it in a bowl of warm milk. All are equally good.

Recipe Of A Classic Swedish Semla

Bakels Soft Dough Concentrate

”SEMLA”

Mixing time: 6 minutes on low speed and 6 minutes on high speed.

Dough temperature: 26-28°C.

Resting time: 10 minutes.

Proving time: 55 minutes.

Baking temperature: 180°C.

Baking time: 80 g bun approximately 8 minutes.

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A concentrate for sweet doughs. For volume and softness.

374210 - 20 kg bag

With almond paste and toasted, chopped almonds (9,5%)

575611 - 14 kg pail

”CHOKLADBOLL”

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AROMATIC SPANISH MOCHA

Natural flavour with a taste of coffee.

616011 - 12 kg (12x1kg bottle)

”DAMMSUGARE”

Did you know?

It is said that the name vacuum cleaner comes from the fact that the look flirts with how an old vacuum cleaner looked like. Also because it used to be made from leftover cake scraps, a clever way to make use of leftovers. Now you can do the same using our recipe. Super tasty, economical and environmentally friendly.

Featured products

BAKELS CHOCKEX PREMIUM DARK

With a rich taste of dark chocolate.

520812 / 520811 - 12,5 kg, 25 kg bag

BAKELS SEMLA FILLING VICTORIA

With almond paste and toasted, chopped almonds (9,5%)

575611 - 14 kg pail

SWEDEN’S FAVOURITE CHOCOLATE TREAT

Bakels Chockex Premium Dark, melted 240 g Decoration: Bakels Chockex Premium Dark, melted Coconut flakes

Mix all the ingredients except the oats with a paddle until the dough is smooth and fine. Add the oats and mix for 2 more minutes. Roll 60 g balls in melted Chockex and coconut flakes.

BAKELS CHOCKEX PREMIUM DARK

With a rich taste of dark chocolate.

520812 / 520811 - 12,5 kg, 25 kg bag

THE MOST TASTY VACUUM CLEANER

Made from cake leftovers!

Leftovers from soft cakes of any kind 1000 g

Margarine 150 g

Bakels Semla Filling Viktoria 350 g Aromatic Arrack Flavour

White Fudgice

Decoration: Marzipan & Bakels Chockex Premium Dark

Mix all the ingredients with a paddle until the dough is smooth and fine.

Whisk Fudgice and butter until it is fluffy. Roll out a 500 g piece of the dough. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out the marzipan and spead it with butter cream. Roll in the dough piece until it’s fully covered. Cut into desired pieces and dip in Chockex on both sides.

BAKELS ARRACK

Contains pure arrack, fortified with flavourings.

660013 7 660012 - 12 kg (12x1kg bottle), 5 kg plastic can

BAKELS WHITE FUDGICE

Fudgice topping with taste of white chocolate.

579710 - 10 kg pail

”KLADDKAKA”

Recipe Of A Yummy Swedish Kladdkaka

Bakels Choco Muffin & Cake mix 1000 g

Bakels Dark Truffle

Mixing time: Mix all ingredients with a paddle. 1 minute on slow speed and 4 minutes on medium speed.

Baking temperature: 180°C.

Baking time: 10-12 minutes depending on the size of the mold. The cake shall not be fully baked.

Featured products

BAKELS CHOCO MUFFIN & CAKE COMPLETE PF

A complete, palm free muffin mix with a rich chocolate flavour.

376612 - 20 kg bag

”BISKVI”

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BAKELS ACTIWHITE

Powder mix of egg albumen, for the production of meringues.

314011 / 314000 - 8 kg bag, 15 kg (10x1,5 kg) carton

BAKELS LIGHT TRUFFLE

A light brown truffle with a taste of milk chocolate.

537810 - 6 kg pail

BAKELS CHOCKEX PREMIUM DARK

With a rich taste of dark chocolate.

520812 / 520811 - 12,5 kg, 25 kg bag

BAKELS DARK TRUFFLE

A dark truffle with a rich taste of chocolate.

RECIPE OF LUXURY TRUFFLE BISQUITS g g

Filling

Bakels Light Truffle

Bakels Chockex Premium Dark

Almond bisquit: Mix Actiwhite and water. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Mix the almond paste and sugar with a paddle until the dough is smooth. Add the egg white mixture a little at a time on medium speed. When the biscuits has cooled off, spread or pipe Light Truffle and cover with melted Chockex.

Baking temperature: 180°C.

Baking time: 10 minutes.

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PRINCESS CAKE Swedish

Princess cake is a traditional Swedish cake from the 40s. It was created by Jenny Åkerström who was a teacher at a household school for wealthy young girls which had both Swedish and Danish princesses as pupils. The princesses were particularly fond of this cake, which was initially called Green Cake, but was later named Princess Cake.

Cake for a good cause

The last week in September is Princess Cake week. For every cake sold, money is donated to Crown Princess Victoria’s fund, for children in Sweden with a disability or chronic illness.

How To Be The Perfect Fika Host

kinds of cookies. This is an old Swedish and Norwegian tradition where the host was expected to prepare seven different kinds of cookies for the Fika guests. The type of cookies could vary, but there would be exactly seven kinds. Less than seven indicated an insufficent host and more than seven indicated a pretentious host.

It had to be ”lagom” - a popular swedish word that means not to little, not to much, just lagom.