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Meet the amateur baker making Swedish ‘fika’ hot in Israel

Michael Rothschild opened up a Swedish bakery called Fika. Nothing out of the ordinary in Sweden. But this one is far away, in Tel Aviv. The Local spoke to him to find out more about his unusual passion for Swedish pastries.

Published: 16 February 2017 07:59 CET

Meet the amateur baker making Swedish 'fika' hot in Israel

Swedish fika in Tel Aviv. Photo: Michael Rothschild

What prompted you to open up a Swedish bakery called FIKA in Tel Aviv?

I am actually a TV producer, not a baker. I was born in Sweden and lived there till I was 30. Ten years ago, I moved to Tel Aviv, because I think it is a really cool and liberal city. Before I worked with TV in Sweden and moved to Israel to continue to work with TV.

Then, a year or two ago, I got for different reasons a bit tired of the media business and was looking to do something different. So, I met an Israeli women that came back from Sweden, where she had worked as a baker. She came back to Israel and did not know what to do here. I thought we could do something together, because I also did not know what to do and liked baking at home. We started to think about an idea, but then she got a bit of cold feet and also she was moving with her family. I was stuck with this idea of doing Swedish bakery in Israel, but I had no baker.

I kind of didn’t pursue the idea any more until about a year ago. The idea was still stuck in my head and I thought, maybe I could do it myself. So I started to watch YouTube tutorials on Swedish baking, read books and started experimenting at home. I got better and better, so I decided to just put up a website and a Facebook page and put up some pictures and prices. I thought “Fika” was a good name, kind of catchy and easy to say for Israelis.

But I did not really think it would lead to something. Two days after I put up the site, people called and ordered, which was a bit unexpected but very fun. Since April I’ve been baking every day for people. In the beginning, I only baked on order, so people called and picked the order up the day after. Two months ago, I started to also work outside on a market and I’m looking up for a place to open up a real bakery where people can sit down and have a fika.

Fika is a Swedish term which means to have coffee and something sweet. Photo: Michael Rothschild

What makes Swedish pastries so special for you?

I like baking, but not everything. I wouldn’t open a bakery here with croissants or Israeli style of pastries. It is a connection to Sweden. I do miss it, and it gives me a chance to have one foot still in Sweden. And of course, it is really tasty! I think it’s like a hidden culinary thing. The Swedish bakery tradition has not really been exploited until about five to ten years ago, when people started baking Swedish in New York, London and even in Singapore. I guess it is like an ongoing trend that I also picked up. Tel Aviv is a trendy city with a lot of people coming from all over the world. The Swedish baking has a really high international standard, definitely not less tasty than the French or the Austrian for example. It’s as good or even better.

You want to bring the Swedish concept of fika to Israel. What makes fika so unique?

I think the concept of fika is not so unique. People here actually do a lot of fika, they just don’t know there is a name for it. The meeting and socializing together over a coffee to break the daily routine kind of fits the lifestyle here as well. People are looking for better quality of life and improved social rights. They are always meeting up in cafés, so I think it just fits to the culture here. When I explain the word to people, they find it has also some kind of meaning to them.

What reactions did you get from people, especially Israeli people?

They really like it. Many people trying for the first time are coming back again and want more. There has been coming a lot of French bakery to Israel in the last five years and lot of Israeli bakeries were inspired by the French cuisine. I think people are looking for something new, they always like new stuff here and if it’s good it kind of sticks. So far people really like the kanelbulle (cinnamon bun) and the mazarin (Swedish almond tart). They don’t understand why we use so much cardamom in sweet things. They use it a lot but not in pastries, same thing with saffron. But when they try it they really like it, at least most of them.

Cardamom is part of Swedish baking culture. Photo: Michael Rothschild

On your menu are also Israeli/Jewish sweets with a Swedish twist. How important is it for you to combine both cultures?

If the thing grows and has a bigger crowd of customers, I think I will have to adapt a little to the local taste. So, I will get some inspiration from Israeli baking, what they are used to here. Maybe I’ll use a little bit less cardamom or something like that. Right now, I’m kind of going Swedish hard core, especially for the markets.

What was the most surprising thing you learned when opening your bakery?

The most surprising thing was that people started to order after I put up the website. Not the fact that they liked it, because it is very good. All Israelis that have been to Sweden and buy from me are happy to taste Swedish bakery here now as well. I was more surprised from my view that it got so much attention right from the beginning. I actually do less and less TV stuff which is my main profession. So, that is most surprising, that I can make a living out of it. It was more a fun thing, I am not a professional baker. But I’ve learned a lot, worked at a place for baking in the summer and have Swedish friends that help me when I have questions like: Why is the dough not rising? I’m still far away from a professional baker though.

What is your favourite Swedish pastry?

Well, I like a lot of them, that’s probably why I gained some weight since I started. I guess, I like the kardemumma (cardamom) bun and mazarin the best.

Most of my customers like kardemumma and mazarin when they taste it, I think they like everything. Saffron is a big surprise to them, but they also like that. I guess the cinnamon bun is the one that sells the best.

Cinnamon buns sold at Tel Aviv's market. Photo: Michael Rothschild

To take a look at more of Rotschild's baking visit his website or follow his bakery on Facebook.

How to grow your own fruits and vegetables in Sweden

Know your growing zone

Sweden is split into eight different growing zones, known as växtzoner in Swedish, with one being the mildest zone in the far south of the country and eight being the harshest, in the far north.

The easiest way to figure out which zone you live in is to search your address on a digital growing zone chart like this one from the Swedish Garden Association.

There are two “bonus” zones too, which you’re unlikely to see on plant labels: zone zero, which refers to extra mild conditions in zone one, like a sheltered south-facing garden or the climate inside an unheated greenhouse, and the fjällzon or zone nine, which is found in mountain regions.

Lots of fruit trees can handle snow, for example, but not all of them will survive the winters in harsher, colder zones.

“Apple trees or fruit trees will survive snow,” British gardener and cider maker John Taylor, known for presenting Swedish gardening show Trädgårdstider (Garden Times), told The Local.

“You can grow all kinds of apples, pears, plums, cherries, we can grow edible quince in southern Sweden, so there’s a bunch of fruit trees which will survive, but it depends what rootstock they’re on – that’s called grundstam in Swedish,” he explained.

“There’s one rootstock called B9 that survives down to minus 40, because it’s from Russia, then there’s another called M106, and that probably doesn’t want to live in the depths of Norrland.”

Buy plants local to you

An easy way to make sure the plant you’re planning on buying is going to survive in your zone is by sourcing it from a local plant nursery or garden centre, as they won’t sell plants that can’t handle the local climate.

“There’s a nursery in the north of Sweden and Finland called Blomkvists, they sell lots of fruit varieties which will survive up there,” Taylor said. “You can grow pretty much anything you want up there, just as we can [in Skåne, southern Sweden], but it will be different varieties that taste different and will survive the frost.”

You won’t be able to grow Mediterranean fruits like lemons or oranges in Sweden unless you bring them inside during the winter, although you should be able to grow peaches or nectarines in most of the country.

“The further up in the country you go, the further north you are or the further away from the coast, the harsher the climate becomes, so you might need to have them on a south-facing wall or in a greenhouse,” Taylor said.

Think outside the box

Although the growing season in Sweden may be shorter than it is further south, there are still a number of crops from warmer climates that do surprisingly well.

“People don’t really grow cucumbers outside here, I don’t think they realise that you can actually grow them outside,” Taylor said. “Tomatoes, too. You don’t need a greenhouse, you just stick them in the ground, they’re basically a weed – you’ll get so many you won’t know what to do with them.”

Sweetcorn, for example, performs well in a Swedish climate, Taylor said, although Swedes more often grow it as a feed crop for pigs.

You can also test things by trying to build a microclimate so you can grow things that are one or even two growing zones away from yours. Usually this is done by providing shelter from the wind and the weather using fences, hedges or by planting near buildings, as well as providing protection during the winter.

And if you’re pushed for space, look into companion planting, where you can grow multiple plants which complement each other in the same space.

One example of this is the “three sisters”: corn, climbing beans (or peas), and squash. The corn provides a support for the beans or peas, which anchor the corn in high winds while fixing nitrogen in the soil, while the squash’s large leaves provide shade for the soil, preventing it from drying out.

Don’t be put off just because you don’t have any outside space

Thinking outside the box applies to balconies too.

“If you’re in a built-up area, you will get reflected light from other buildings, so even if you’re on an east-facing balcony, you should be able to grow a lot of stuff. North is a bit more tricky, but east and west are probably better than south as you’re not getting hammered by the sun all day,” Taylor said.

You should be able to grow things like tomatoes, cucumbers and flowers, but it’s important to get hold of good soil and replenish it each year, so your plants have enough nutrients.

“Anybody with a balcony can grow pretty much the same that you can in a garden, you just have to get the soil up there and you always have to fertilise, the soil becomes nutrient deficient after one season.”

“But if you’re prepared to get the soil up on your balcony you can grow anything, even fruit trees. They will be smaller and stunted, and won’t give as much fruit – I’ve done it myself – so don’t see it as an obstacle, see it as a possibility.”

Kale and tomatoes growing on a balcony. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Take inspiration from Swedish growers

Thinking outside the box doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore what all your Swedish neighbours are doing. If you’re not sure what to plant in your garden or what fruit and veg you should try to grow, take a look at what other people who live near you are growing.

You might also come across some crops you’ve never tried before which work well in a Swedish climate, like Alpine strawberries (smultron), honeyberries (blåbärstry), wild garlic (ramslök) or sea buckthorn (havtorn).

This doesn’t just apply to varieties, but also where you plant them in your garden. Some crops need full sun, some work best in shade, and others, like asparagus, can grow tall and cast a shadow over your garden.

“You want a south-facing location for all fruit, and berries – check out what your neighbours are doing,” Taylor said.

If you don’t want tall plants to cast a shadow over other crops, see if you can plant them at the northernmost edge of your garden, while making sure that sun and soil conditions are still optimal. Blueberries, for example, need acidic soil to thrive, meaning you will probably need to amend your soil if planting in the ground, or even plant them in containers.

Think about what you want to do with your harvest

This may seem obvious, but it’s important to plant what you like to eat, too. If you hate the aniseedy, licorice-y taste of fennel, why bother growing it?

You should also choose the variety of crop based on what you’re going to use it for. Do you want to make pickles with your cucumbers, or are you going to eat them on salads? Do you want cherry tomatoes for snacking on, or big beef tomatoes for making sauces?

“Think ‘what am I going to do with my harvest’,” Taylor said. “Am I going to juice it? Am I going to preserve it? Am I going to make cider with it, for example?”

Apples, for example, can range from sweet eating apples to tart cooking apples, so make sure you do your research before you commit to buying an apple tree. Most varieties exist in English-speaking countries, so you should be able to search the name of the variety online and find some information in a language you understand, if you don’t speak Swedish.

“Patience is a virtue,” he added. “A lot of fruit trees are going to take two or three years, or even more, to give a harvest. So you have to have patience.”

Learn to deal with the Swedish weather

Many areas of Sweden along the coast or in the south of the country can get windy, which you’ll have to learn to deal with.

“How to deal with the wind? You can’t,” Taylor said. “We cannot affect this, we are powerless.”

“What you have to do is plant them in areas where there’s less wind, usually behind large buildings.”

Some plants simply won’t survive the wind, so either you plant them close to buildings, protect them, or accept that you’re restricted in what you can grow.

Make sure to provide supports for crops which will grow tall, like sunflowers, peas, beans and sweetcorn, and tie these down well or bury them deep in the ground, so summer storms can’t blow them away.

Listen to the full interview with John Taylor in The Local’s Sweden in Focus Extra podcast for Membership+ subscribers. Out on Wednesday, May 8th.

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