Get Your Fika On

If you ask any New Yorker what area of the city they avoid, one common answer surpasses all others. Times Square and the tourist-filled chaos that consumes Midtown Manhattan can be overwhelming; between the costumed characters charging at you and scalpers selling last-minute tickets to comedy shows, there’s certainly a lot going on. In the midst of the crowds and Christmas markets, there is a respite that would draw even the most seasoned New Yorker into the throes of Midtown - a Swedish church.

The Church of Sweden sits inconspicuously on East 48th Street steps away from the iconic Rockefeller Center ice rink. Despite being surrounded by LED screens and soaring buildings, the Church remains humble and innocuous. When I first visited the Church, it was last year during my lunch break working corporate on 5th Avenue. I had read about the Church on Atlas Obscura, a website dedicated to showing the hidden gems that lie within a city. Bored at work and in search of an adventure, I slipped out of the office and into a new favorite spot I’ve been gatekeeping.

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I walked past the “CAFE OPEN DOWNSTAIRS” sign into a tight hallway with stark lighting, bravely heading down a basement surrounded by a tarp until the cafe revealed itself. Instantly there was a shift from sterile construction to a warm holiday wonderland. The walls were lined with festive garland and dozens of snacks imported from Sweden - cookies, crackers, and so many more treats with packaging I have never recognized. 
Resisting the temptation of these packaged snacks, I went up to the counter to order from a warm woman who gave me the option of a cardamom bun or cinnamon bun - of course, I had to try both. The cardamom bun is a traditional Swedish dish with deep ties to the medieval period when cardamom was said to help keep bodies healthy throughout the bitter Swedish winter. The first thing I noticed about the bun was its color, a slightly yellow tint that felt warm in my frostbitten hands. The taste of the bun was slightly sweet but also extremely fragrant and had some sort of kick to it that I couldn’t put my finger on. 

I quickly switched attention from the cardamom bun to the cinnamon bun, which was just as warm but far sweeter. Both of these delicious pastries were flaky with doughy insides, reinvigorating me after trying them both with a warm smile on my face. It was after I returned my now-empty tray that the woman who served me told me about fika. The term refers to the Swedish coffee break, an important part of their culture devoted to catching up with friends in the middle of the day. It’s about slowing down and enjoying the company of those around you. 
I wondered if New Yorkers could possibly subscribe to such a tradition through their desk lunches and scheduled Zoom coffee chats. Would there be less honking in the streets and shoving on the subways if we took an hour to unwind each day? Embracing the cultural norms of the millions of New Yorkers who call our beautiful city home may make Midtown slightly more bearable - even if just for an hour.