In Scandinavian countries, such as Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, drinking coffee is an important part of everyday culture.
Scandinavians tend to enjoy coffee in a relaxed and cozy atmosphere.
In some countries, such as Norway, coffee is often served with toast and cheese.
While in Finland, people enjoy coffee with cinnamon cookies and other pastries.
Distinctive Feature
The distinctive coffee culture in Scandinavia is a reflection of the way of life and values of the people in this region. Some of its distinctive features include the following:
- Fika
The concept of “fika” is an important break in Swedish coffee culture. It is a time to gather with friends, coworkers, or family over a cup of coffee and cake. Fika is more than just drinking coffee, it reflects the importance of social interaction and relaxation in everyday life.
- Coffee and the Great Outdoors
In countries with beautiful natural scenery such as Norway, Finland and Iceland, drinking coffee is often associated with outdoor activities. People often carry a thermos of coffee when on outdoor adventures, such as hiking or camping.
- Drinking Coffee All Day
The Scandinavian tradition of drinking coffee is not limited to the morning. People there tend to drink coffee throughout the day, and even some restaurants and cafes will serve coffee as part of dinner.
- High Strength Coffee
In Scandinavian countries, coffee tends to have a higher flavor and strength than is common in some other countries. This may have to do with the cold climate and the need for extra zest.
- Sustainability
Sustainability is an important value in Scandinavia, and this is also reflected in their coffee culture. In addition, many cafes there focus on using sustainably grown beans and environmentally-friendly practices.
- Minimalist Café Design
Cafes in Scandinavia are often known for their minimalist and clean interior design. This creates a calm and cozy atmosphere for visitors to enjoy their coffee.
- Loyalty to Local Brands
Despite the popularity of global coffee brands, Scandinavians tend to prefer and support local coffee brands. This reflects their encouragement of the local economy and high-quality products.
The distinctive coffee culture in Scandinavia reflects a close relationship with tradition, nature and social interaction. It is an important part of the identity and way of life of the people in these regions.
Coffee Drinking Methods and Taste Preferences
Coffee drinking traditions in Scandinavian countries have an interesting variety of brewing methods and flavor preferences. Here are some examples:
- Milder coffee in Denmark
In Denmark, people prefer a lighter and milder style of coffee. Brewing methods such as“pour-over” or“drip coffee” are commonly used to produce coffee that has a lighter body and delicate flavor.
- Strong Coffee in Finland
In Finland, coffee is often brewed with higher caffeine levels and stronger flavors. Traditional methods such as “kokekaffe” or coffee decoction are often used. This results in a strong and thick coffee, perfect for the cold climate in Finland.
- Instant Coffee in Norway
In Norway, instant coffee is still quite popular. This may be attributed to an active and busy lifestyle, where instant coffee provides convenience in serving.
- Hot and Cold Coffee in Sweden
Sweden is known for the concept of“fika,” where coffee is often enjoyed together with cake or bread. In addition to hot coffee,cold brew coffee is also growing in popularity, especially during the summer.
- Coffee with a Taste of Nature in Iceland
In Iceland, people brew coffee using water from natural sources, such as glacier springs. This gives the coffee a fresh and clean taste.
- Alternative and Innovative Coffee
Some Scandinavian countries are also witnessing innovative alternative coffee trends, such as Bulletproof Coffee‘s famous butter lump coffee, which offers long-lasting energy.
Typical Scandinavian Roasting Process
The coffee roasting process in Scandinavian countries has distinctive characteristics and contributes to the unique flavor of the coffee beans. Here are some typical features of the coffee roasting process in Scandinavia:
- Light to Medium Roasting
In general, coffee in Scandinavia tends to be roasted lighter to medium compared to darker roasting styles. Furthermore, this aims to retain the natural flavor characteristics of the coffee beans and avoid losing important flavor nuances.
- Attention to Acid and Brightness
Lighter roasting helps to reveal the natural acidity and brightness of the coffee beans. This can result in a cup of coffee that has a brighter, fresher and livelier flavor.
- Emphasis on Clear Flavor
The roasting process in Scandinavia often aims to produce coffee beans with a clearer, sharper flavor. This allows coffee connoisseurs to better experience every nuance of flavor.
- Nature and Fruit Flavors
The lighter roasting also favors highlighting the natural flavors and fruitiness of the coffee beans. These can be berry, citrus, or even unique herbal flavors.
- The Importance of Coffee Bean Quality
The Scandinavian roasting process emphasizes the importance of using high-quality coffee beans. The selection of good beans is the first step in producing a coffee with a special flavor.
- Balance Between Flavor and Caffeine
Despite lighter roasting, coffee in Scandinavia still has a fairly high caffeine content. This provides the perfect balance of fresh flavor and strength.
- Experiments with Roasting Profiles
While lighter roasting is generally the hallmark, there are also deeper roasts that experiment with new flavor profiles. This shows there is room for innovation in the Scandinavian coffee roasting tradition.
The coffee roasting process in Scandinavia reflects a focus on the clear flavor, brightness, and natural taste of the beans. This combination results in coffees with unique and profound characteristics, which appeal to coffee connoisseurs around the world.
Source Reference:
http://www.upmosphere.id/blog/mengenal-quotfikaquot-tradisi-ngopi-ala-swedia_49.html
https://skandinavia.co.id/fika-tradisi-ngopi-ala-swedia-yang-dilakukan-setiap-hari/
https://www.seriouseats.com/scandinavian-coffee-primer-all-about-nordic-coffee
https://www.scandinaviastandard.com/norwegian-coffee-culture-explained
https://ottencoffee.co.id/majalah/kaffeost-dan-kebudayaan-ngopi-di-finlandia
https://www.baristainstitute.com/blog/jori-korhonen/september-2018/finnish-coffee-culture-one-kind
https://www.travelcenter.uk/blog/unique-flavours-and-the-best-traditional-dishes-to-try-in-iceland/
https://www.nordicvisitor.com/blog/nordic-eats-the-swedish-art-of-fika
https://kumparan.com/kumparanfood/nikmatnya-kue-khas-skandinavia-dalam-segelas-kopi-1sKjUD8XKzK
