Fika with Cardamom Rolls

A few years ago when I was on a work trip to Germany, I visited a college friend who lived in Munich. One afternoon as we walked around the city, she suggested we enjoy the German tradition of “kaffee und kuchen" (coffee and cake). This may have been my favorite moment of the trip! This afternoon ritual where friends, family or coworkers meet at a café or one’s house to enjoy coffee and cake while socializing is Germany's answer to Swedish fika. Both traditions are meant for slowing down and taking a break. Fika (pronounced fee-ka) is both a verb and a noun. In Scandanavian countries, cardamom buns or rolls are popular for Fika. Variations of these sweet buns gained popularity in the U.S. when in 2019 the Swedish bakery Fabrique opened its first United States location in Manhattan. In Finland, people enjoy a similar ritual of eating pulla, a buttery Finnish sweet bread scented with cardamom. In the spirit of Fika, I decided to make Finnish Cardamom Rolls.