Intangible cultural heritage on export: How is Swedish fika portrayed in international press?

The paper explores how intangible cultural heritage is “exported” to contexts unfamiliar with its underlying values. Intangible cultural heritage refers to the expressions, practices, knowledge, and skills that communities recognise as integral to their traditions and background. While these aspects are familiar to those within the culture, challenges arise when transferring and making them understandable to outsiders. The paper studies this phenomenon in the context of the “export” of Swedish fika. Such global exports are evident through the establishment of cafés named “Fika” abroad, the export of related products, and the incorporation of the term fika as an untranslated noun and verb into the English language. Empirical evidence is drawn from an examination of how Swedish fika is portrayed in international media. Fika can be understood along culinary, social, spatial, temporal, and symbolism dimensions. By focusing on coverage in the Anglo-Saxon press and broadcast media, the paper asks: Which dimensions of Swedish fika are described, and how are they presented in international media? The paper concludes that Swedish fika is framed in three primary ways: (1) as tangibles (the beverages and pastries consumed); (2) as a ritual; and (3) as a paradox whereby the effects of fika are emphasised as a contradictory or surprising consequence. These frames are tied to specific fika settings, with the ritual and tangibles being closely associated with cafés, while the paradox is linked to workplace contexts. The paper contributes to existing research by showing how intangible cultural elements can be stereotyped or made tangible, highlighting the ongoing challenges of maintaining authenticity in the export of intangible cultural heritage.