The Swedish bourgeois table of the late 19th century revolves around two rituals. The smörgåsbord (literally 'buttered bread table') presents, side by side in self-service, a mosaic of small cold and hot dishes — pickled herring, smoked or salted fish, potatoes, cold cuts, cheeses — where each person composes their own plate. And fika, the sacred coffee break, where one breaks the day around strong coffee and cardamom buns. Coffee and fish, omnipresent, structure all Scandinavian social life of this milieu.

Three markers of this cuisine: dill which flavors fish and potatoes, green cardamom which perfumes festive breads, and coffee — drunk in considerable quantities, the true fuel of salons and scholarly working evenings.