Kulturista - Cultural Experiences in West Sweden

C U LT U R E E X P E R I E N C E S I N W E S T S W E D E N 21 baker’s licenses. Another factor that played into fika’s history was the fact that Alingsås’ citizens lived in extremely cramped condi- tions at the time. The result was that cafés sprang up here and there to meet workers’ need for sitting room for meals. With that, the expression “workingman’s café” was also born and Sweden’s café culture began to develop. T H E C A P I TA L O F F I K A Given its history, it’s no wonder that Alingsås is a city with many fika-related nicknames:The Café City, Alingsås, Sweden’s Fika Capi- tal, or simplyThe Capital of Fika. Nowadays, the city boasts around 30 cafés, three of which are included in the prestigious White Guide list of Sweden’s best cafés. In an old villa from the turn of the century, now home to Nolbygårds Ekobageri & Café, baker Lasse Larsson takes the concepts of organic baking and sustainability to new heights. At Nygrens Café visitors can enjoy cakes and pastries in- side one of the city’s most charming and oldest courtyards. Or why not experience the sinfully delicious marriage of fluffy pastry and rich cream in a Budapest pastry at Ekstedts Bageri & Café, foun- ded in 1886? Tourists are also welcome to take a guided “fika tour” to learn more about Swedish fika. The tour makes stops at some of the town’s best cafés and concludes with a slice of Sweden’s favourite gateau, prinsesstårta. While people from other cultures drink their coffee or espresso on the go, Swedish fika is a relaxed affair that is almost a social institution in its own right. Fika is a way to socialise and wind down, at the same time as it gives your energy reserves a well- needed boost. You might describe Sweden’s cafés as our answer to the British pub; they are our “living room away from home”. Indeed, fika is both a noun and a verb. The word has been used since the early 20th century and is said to be humorous slang for what used to be the Swedish word for coffee – kaffi. The tradition is much older than that, however, and you need to visit the West- Swedish town of Alingsås, 30 minutes from Gothenburg, to really understand its history. T H E “ W O R K I N G M A N ’ S C A F É ” I S B O R N Fika’s history has its beginnings in 18th-century Alingsås. Despite its very modest size, at the time, the town had made a name for it- self as one of Sweden’s premier industrial cities. The industrial boom in the area meant that an increasing number of women be- gan working outside the home. Bakeries then sprang up as a result, since women no longer had the time to bake at home and, for many Swedes, bread was their dietary mainstay. As a result of this modern trend, in 1733 the Swedish king granted Alingsås’ Anders Sundgren one of the country’s first-ever Swedish fika is internationally renowned, but just what is it, exactly, that makes the fika tradition so special? There must be more to it than meets the eye, if you, like many Swedes can look back on your life and say that you’ve spent more than two whole years with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cinnamon bun in the other! The answer to the mystery can be found in West Sweden’s history. Another Cup? T E X T J O H A N T Ö R N R O T H