Coffee in Sweden

Last updated

Coffee was introduced to Sweden in the late 17th century, and today coffee plays a significant role in Swedish culture, characterised by Sweden ranking among the world's top coffee consumers per capita, [1] and a distinct tradition of coffee breaks known as "fika".

Contents

History

Cleaning women at coffee break in tram depot, Stockholm 1930 Cleaning women at coffee break in tram depot, Stockholm 1930 (6081775137).jpg
Cleaning women at coffee break in tram depot, Stockholm 1930

Early history

Coffee was introduced to Sweden in the mid-17th century. In 1657, Swedish diplomat Claes Rålamb encountered coffee during a diplomatic mission to Constantinople. He described it as a "cooked drink of beans" consumed hot. [2] Despite this early mention, coffee did not gain immediate popularity in Sweden. [3]

The first recorded shipment of coffee arrived in 1685 in Gothenburg. [4] Initially, coffee was regarded as a medicinal product and was sold in pharmacies. Its high cost restricted consumption to the wealthier classes. King Charles XII, during his stay in the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th century, developed a taste for coffee and introduced Turkish coffee-making practices upon his return, contributing to its spread in Sweden. [4]

Restrictions

Coffee consumption faced opposition in its early years. Critics such as Carl Linnaeus warned of its health effects, [5] advocating for herbal alternatives, [6] while economic concerns, including the negative balance of trade caused by the importing of exotic ‘luxuries’ including coffee, [6] led to government bans. King Gustav III opposed coffee, commissioning an experiment on its effects. [7] Between 1756 and 1823, coffee was prohibited on five occasions, [8] but these bans were largely ineffective. Coffee consumption continued, with underground societies known as "coffee guilds" forming during prohibition periods. [9] Restrictions ended in 1823. [10]

Widespread popularity

Coffee for sale in a Swedish shop 1951 Coffee for sale in a Swedish shop 1951 (JOKAUAS2 797-1).tif
Coffee for sale in a Swedish shop 1951

Coffee gradually gained popularity in Sweden, becoming a staple by 1850, even among the working class and rural poor. While brännvin (vodka) could be home-distilled, coffee beans had to be imported. As a result, rural Swedes often consumed coffee-based or coffee-like beverages up to five times a day, stretching their supplies with local substitutes such as dried chicory, grains mixed with syrup, or a dough made from rye and potatoes. [11]

Around this time, the temperance movement and new alcohol regulations transformed Swedish drinking culture. Alcohol consumption during work hours became socially unacceptable, with coffee replacing it as the drink of choice for workers. This shift led to a café boom, with Stockholm hosting nearly 800 cafés by 1887. [12]

The introduction of the iron stove in the 19th century made home coffee brewing accessible, and coffee became central to Swedish households. The cultural tradition of "fika," a coffee break often accompanied by pastries, began to emerge during this time. [13]

Coffee culture in Sweden today

Fika remains a notable aspect of Swedish coffee culture. It involves taking a break to enjoy coffee and buns of pastries, often in a social setting. [14]

A coffee shop in Gothenburg Coffee shop in Goteborg railway station, Sweden .jpg
A coffee shop in Gothenburg

Swedes generally prefer medium to dark roasts, [15] and the popularity of speciality coffee has grown in recent years. Cafés featuring artisanal brewing methods and micro-roasteries have become more common. [16]

Coffee Consumption

Sweden is among the highest coffee-consuming countries globally, with an average consumption of approximately 8.2 kilograms per capita annually. [17] Brewed coffee remains the most popular preparation method, although espresso-based drinks have gained traction. [15]

Another historic coffee preparation method in Sweden, still common in the Northern Sweden, is "kokkaffe," or boiled coffee. [18] This process involves adding water and coarsely ground coffee to a pot or pan, bringing it to a boil, and then straining it into a cup or flask. [15]

Coffee industry in Sweden

Gevalia coffee roastery in Gavle Gevalia, Gavle 04.jpg
Gevalia coffee roastery in Gävle

Sweden’s coffee industry has an annual roasting volume of approximately 88,000 tonnes, accounting for about 5% of the European Union’s total. The industry includes a mix of large-scale roasters and smaller micro-roasteries. [19]

Four major companies dominate the Swedish coffee market: [19]

These companies primarily import green coffee beans through the ports of Gothenburg and Gävle. Smaller roasters and micro-roasteries, specialising in speciality coffee, account for the remaining market share. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee</span> Brewed beverage made from coffee beans

Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It has the highest sales in the world market for hot drinks.

Peet's Coffee is a San Francisco Bay Area-based specialty coffee roaster and retailer owned by JAB Holding Company via JDE Peet's. Founded in 1966 by Alfred Peet in Berkeley, California, Peet's introduced the United States to its darker roasted Arabica coffee in blends including French roast and grades appropriate for espresso drinks. Peet's offers freshly roasted beans, brewed coffee and espresso beverages, as well as bottled cold brew. In 2007, Peet's opened the first LEED Gold Certified roastery in the United States. Peet's coffee is sold in over 14,000 grocery stores across the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gevalia</span> Swedish coffee brand

Gevalia is a coffee brand originating from Gävle, Sweden. Founded in 1853, it has grown to become the largest coffee roastery in Scandinavia. The brand name "Gevalia" is derived from the Latin name for Gävle.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters is a coffee roaster and retailer based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The chain's first location opened in 1999. Three other cafes, a roastery and a tasting annex have since opened in Portland, as well as locations in Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles,. Stumptown is owned by Peet's Coffee, which in turn is owned by JAB Holding Company. The company was an early innovator with cold brew coffee in nitro cans and have continued to develop other cold brew product innovations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabic coffee</span> Version of brewed saudi coffee beans

Arabic coffee, also called Qahwa, is a version of the brewed coffee of Coffea arabica beans. Most Arab countries throughout the Middle East have developed distinct methods for brewing and preparing coffee. Cardamom is an often-added spice, but it can alternatively be served plain or with sugar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee culture</span> Traditions and social behaviors associated with the consumption of coffee

Coffee culture is the set of traditions and social behaviors that surround the consumption of coffee, particularly as a social lubricant. The term also refers to the cultural diffusion and adoption of coffee as a widely consumed stimulant. In the late 20th century, espresso became an increasingly dominant drink contributing to coffee culture, particularly in the Western world and other urbanized centers around the globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Us!</span>

Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op is a Canadian importer of fair trade coffee, tea, sugar, and chocolate. Based in Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, Just Us! products are sold throughout Canada, typically in shops specializing in fair trade goods such as Ten Thousand Villages. Their motto is “People and the Planet before Profits”.

Third-wave coffee is a movement in coffee marketing emphasizing high quality. Beans are typically sourced from individual farms and are roasted more lightly to bring out their distinctive flavors. Though the term was coined in 1999, the approach originated in the 1970s, with roasters such as the Coffee Connection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caffé Vita Coffee Roasting Company</span> Coffee roasting company in Seattle, Washington

Caffè Vita Coffee Roasting Company, commonly known as Caffè Vita, is an American coffee roasting company based in Seattle, Washington. Part of the third wave of coffee movement, it has been named one of 10 places offering "the best coffee in America."

Seattle is regarded as a world center for coffee roasting and coffee supply chain management. Related to this, many of the city's inhabitants are coffee enthusiasts; the city is known for its prominent coffee culture and numerous coffeehouses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gustav III of Sweden's coffee experiment</span> Twin study

Gustav III of Sweden's coffee experiment was a purported twin study ordered by the king to study the health effects of coffee. The authenticity of the event has been questioned. The primitive medical study, supposedly conducted in the second half of the 18th century, failed to prove that coffee was a dangerous beverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart Coffee Roasters</span> Coffee chain in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Heart Coffee Roasters is a small specialty coffee roasting company with cafes in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was established in 2009 by Wille and Rebekah Yli-Luoma.

Countries have cultivated coffee beans into various vehicles to satisfy needs unique to each country. Whether it be for energy, socialization, or tradition, the cultivation of coffee has served as a motivating force of the world. The modernization of coffee and its unique forms across cultures are markers of tradition and modern changes across continents. Coffee culture appears in the way in which people consume coffee, the way they make it, and where coffee is served and shared. Each of these factors combined reflects the lives of the people in these countries and the importance of coffee across the world.

Starbucks Reserve is a program by the international coffeehouse chain Starbucks. The program involves operation of worldwide roasteries; currently six are in operation. Also part of the program are 28 coffee bars preparing Starbucks Reserve products, what Starbucks considers its rarest and best-quality coffees, usually single-origin coffees. Some Starbucks Reserve coffee is also sold in about 1,500 of the chain's traditional outlets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spella Caffè</span> Coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Spella Caffè is a coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, United States. Andrea Spella started the business as a cart in 2006, before opening a brick and mortar space in downtown Portland in 2010. The business has garnered a positive reception, and has been cited as an influence for other coffee company founders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monmouth Coffee Company</span> British coffee roaster and seller

Monmouth Coffee Company is a coffee roaster, retailer and wholesaler in London, which was founded in 1978. It played an important role in regenerating Neal's Yard and Borough Market. It has remained focused on roasting and selling coffee beans and was one of the foundations for the third wave of coffee in London after the year 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victrola Coffee Roasters</span> Company based in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Victrola Coffee Roasters is a coffee roasting company with multiple locations in Seattle, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Domain Coffee</span> Coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Public Domain Coffee is a coffee shop in Portland, Oregon. Coffee Bean International opened the cafe in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulcrum Coffee</span> Coffee company based in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Fulcrum Coffee Roasters, or simply Fulcrum Coffee, is a coffee company based in Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. The business operates a roastery in SoDo as well as a shop in Belltown known as Fulcrum Café.

References

  1. ↑ "Coffee Consumption by Country 2024: Lifetime Data & Statistics". cafely.com. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  2. ↑ Rålamb, Claes (1657). "Description of Constantinople" . Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  3. ↑ Svanberg, Ingvar (April 1993). "Coffee in Sweden: A question of morality, health, and economy". Food and Foodways. 5(3):239-254.
  4. 1 2 "Sweden's Coffee History Began in Gothenburg". A43 Kaffebaren. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  5. ↑ Brown, Carolina (2024-07-15), "6. At the coffee table", Comfortable Everyday Life at the Swedish Eighteenth-Century Näs Manor, Amsterdam University Press, pp. 243–274, doi:10.1515/9789048562381-009, ISBN   978-90-485-6238-1 , retrieved 2025-01-09
  6. 1 2 Hodacs, Hanna (November 2023). "Substituting Coffee and Tea in the Eighteenth Century: A Rural and Material History with Global Implications". Journal of Global History. 18 (3): 461–480. doi:10.1017/S1740022823000086. ISSN   1740-0228.
  7. ↑ Sempler, Kaianders (15 March 2006). "Gustav IIIs odödliga kaffeexperiment" [Gustav III's immortal coffee experiment] (in Swedish). Ny Teknik. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  8. ↑ Knutsson, Anna; Hodacs, Hanna (2023-05-04). "When coffee was banned: strategies of labour and leisure among Stockholm's poor women, 1794–1796 and 1799–1802". Scandinavian Economic History Review. 71 (2): 176–198. doi:10.1080/03585522.2021.2000489. ISSN   0358-5522.
  9. ↑ "How coffee travelled from Ethiopia to Sweden and became a national tradition". 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  10. ↑ "Once upon a time, when coffee was illegal in Sweden... say what now?". The Local Sweden. 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  11. ↑ Gershon, Livia (2022-11-21). "The Swedish-American Coffee Tradition". JSTOR Daily. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  12. ↑ "Sweden's alcohol policy". The Absolut Group. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  13. ↑ "The Evolution of Fika in Sweden". Swedish National Heritage Board. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  14. ↑ "Swedish Coffee and Culture". Nescafé. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  15. 1 2 3 Andersson, Karl (2023-10-15). "Nordic Coffee Culture Explained: From Fika to Kask". Nordic Perspective. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  16. ↑ "Coffee in Scandinavia: Market Potential". CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  17. ↑ "Per Capita Coffee Consumption in Sweden". Statista. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  18. ↑ "Typically Swedish: Kokkaffe (Boiled Coffee) - Five Euro Food". homesweetsweden.com. 2014-01-26. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  19. 1 2 "Coffee in Scandinavia: Market Potential". CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  20. ↑ "The Evolution of Fika in Sweden". Swedish National Heritage Board. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.