Dalahäst / Dala Horse

You might have wondered why there are chocolate shaped unicorns on your Fika coffee. Firstly, they're not unicorns – they're Dala horses, just saying :)

Dala Horse aka 'Dalahäst' is a traditional carved, painted wooden statue of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna. In the old days the Dala horse was mostly used as a toy for children; in modern times it has become a symbol of Dalarna, as well as of Sweden in general. There are several designs, each inspired by the location where they are produced. One particular style has, however, become much more common and widespread than others. It is stoutly carved and painted bright red with details and a harness in white, green, yellow and blue.