Tag Archives: Scandinavia

One half of the ETW team is crazy about coffee. However, we were both surprised to learn about the corner of the world where coffee reigns supreme: Scandinavia. Honestly, when we first think of coffee, our mind goes to Italy (Bialetti, Cappuccino, etc), but per capita, Scandinavians consume more coffee than any other countries (think of the Swedish tradition of Fika). It turns out that Finland is the number one consumer of coffee per year at 12 Kg, followed by Norway and Iceland at over 9 KG apiece. Norway in particular is known for its particularly fastidious coffee culture, and Norwegians often win the World Barista Championships.  

Fuglen Cafe in Oslo by Nicholas Lundgaard

So how is Norwegian coffee different? Norwegians tend to like their coffee black (called sort kaffe in Norwegian), prepared one cup at a time. The roasting is also different in Norway, and is particularly light, imparting an almost fruity flavor in the coffee. World Barista champion Tim Wendelboe discusses some of his tips for brewing a good Norwegian cup of coffee here, with emphasis on every step of the process. The Dear Coffee I Love You blog took a coffee-tasting tour of Oslo, and found a wealth of cafes serving amazing coffee, including Wendelboe’s cafe. Obviously, the Norwegian coffee scene is thriving, and you can keep up with the latest updates on the Nordic Coffee Culture Blog. The particular Norwegian way of making coffee has even reached Tokyo, with the opening of furniture/coffee shop Fuglen.