Zoë Escher

Can brown rice be used for sushi?

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Brown rice can be used for sushi.

In the US there are restaurants that specialize in making sushi with brown rice. In 2006, I once made brown rice sushi it was during the training for Japanese sushi chef in Los Angeles.

Sushi with brown rice has a nice taste.

However, I think there are a little too many challenges when cooking brown rice to start making sushi with brown rice.

As most people know sushi rice is already hard to cook to perfection. Sushi ris should be soft but firm. It is a texture that is hard to get right.

Brown rice is even harder to cook to perfection since the pre-cooked rice will never have the consistency the same as white sushi.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher
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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Accenture audit Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Why is local fish not used for sushi?

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FiskIt’s really good questions that I sometimes get on my sushi courses.

In Denmark we have a lot of fish of very high quality suitable for sushi. It is especially whitefish found in Danish waters.

In Denmark most people are familiar with salmon, tuna and tiger prawns. Seafood is to find on any menu regardless of where in the world you are.

In different parts of the world have local seafood which can be advantageously to use for sushi. In Japan you can find sea urchin which is a fine and delicate shellfish.

Why there are no more local fish that has found its way to the menu is a good question. The consumers do also have the courage to eat sushi prepared with local fish.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Do Japanese sushi chefs use different types of fish than sushi restaurants in Europe?

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Japanese sushi chefs use many different types of fish than European sushi restaurants. Fish is a very popular raw material in Japanese cuisine. The Japanese learn to enjoy fish from when they are small. The Japanese eat as much fish as we eat meat in Europe.

The selection of fresh fish suitable for sushi is bigger in Japan than in Europe. This also means that it is very normal for sushi restaurants in Japan to have 15-20 different fish on the menu.

Some of the fish which is on a Japanese menu such as salmon, tuna and squid. The Japanese menu also contains local fish that can only be caught in local sea in Japan

Read more about the Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Okinawa miso soup is a healthy way to detox your body!

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There are several different ways to detox the body.

Some years ago it was very popular to go on a fruit diet which typically lasted a few days. Some were happy with the diet others were decided poorly by eating fruit for several days.

Most people know about detox diet for example you drink different juices over 3-7 days. Juice diet can be a little difficult to implement since you will not be satisfied the same way as if you are eating a meal.

Like so many others I live a busy life. To make a radical change to my diet for a period of time to detox my body is not something I am fan of.

I am also in favor of detoxing the body but I prefer to boost my health at the same time.

That’s why I have developed a 14-day Okinawa miso soup experience where I detox my body, boost my health and prevent a variety of lifestyle diseases and cancer at the same time.

You can read more about the Okinawa miso soup course here

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Why is it difficult to cook sushi rice?

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There are several reasons why it is difficult to cook sushi ris. You use less water compare to “normal” rice which means that it only that it takes very little to get them wrong.
The perfect sushi rice is solid but at the same time soft. It very diffcult to cook perfect sushi rice.

Another factor that has a major influence on cooking sushi rice is the weather. If it rains, snow or a hot summer day it will affect the process of cooking of sushi rice.

It means that you might have to change the way you cook the rice every time.

Read more about the class Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë har holdt foredrag og afholdt sushikurser for A.P. Møller – Mærsk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis,Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup og mange flere.

Can all types of sushi mats be used to make sushi?

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Unfortunately not.

The selection of sushi mats is large in Denmark. There are many different types ranging from silicone mats to Japanese sushi mats and not all of them are suitable for sushi.

Kitchen utensils made of silicone are popular and the selection is getting bigger and bigger. Within the last few years, more and more kitchenware shops have started selling sushi mats made of silicone.

Occasionally, I meet attendances who show up on my sushi class with a silicone mat under the arm for which they have paid DKK 250-300. Unfortunately, I will have to disappoint them every time.
Silicone mats are definitely unsuitable for sushi even though they are easy to clean. Silicone is a very smooth material it is very difficult to make nice sushi rolls. In addition, they do not have the same flexibility as sushi mats made of wood. It also makes it difficult to make nice and firm rolls.

At the Sushi course for beginners I tell you more about the type of sushi-eating Japanese sushi chefs. It is a sushi mat that I also sell in my web shop.

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Do fishmongers know what type of fish is suitable for sushi?

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All fishmongers know what kind of fish is used for sushi.

It is very important to ask for fish for sushi. Fish for sushi has a completely different quality than fish to be fried.

The reason for the difference in quality of fish is that fish for sushi being eaten raw. It is very important to use top quality fish. If you eat raw fish that has become too old you may become ill.

At Sushi course for beginners I talk more about what kind of fish to buy for sushi

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

What is the first thing to check when making sushi?

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The first thing I check when I about preparing different raw materials for sushi is the weather.
Humidity and temperature play a major role from handling raw materials to the finished sushi pieces.

The temperature affects the boiling of sushi rice. Temperatures such as minus degrees and hot summer days affect the various steps that lead to perfect cooked sushi rice.

But raw materials such as fish and vegetables are also affected by temperature and humidity. The more moisture is in the weather the more focus you have to have on the different techniques as it does not take a long time before the effects can be seen.

At Sushi course for beginners you will learn more about the cooking techniques used to handle the different steps.

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Can all types of soy sauce be used for sushi?

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Most people are not aware of how important the choice of soy sauce has on the entire sushi dinner.
The right soy sauce can enhance the dining experience by 40% it is very important that you use the right soy sauce when you eat sushi.

Sushi should have a fine and delicate taste and it is important to select a soy sauce that is not too strong in flavor or contain too much salt.
If you use a soy sauce that is too strong in flavor it will create an imbalance and you miss the full dining experience. If you use a soy sauce with too much salt the salty taste will cover the whole dining experience.

There is only one soy sauce suitable for sushi which you cannot buy it in supermarkets but only in special stores. At Sushi course for beginners I talk more about where to buy the soy sauce.

Read more about sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

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Is there a difference between Japanese knives?

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Yes, there is a huge difference between Japanese knives.

In Denmark most Japanese knives are made of stainless steel. These knives are of good quality that do not need much maintenance. But, they will never be as sharp as Japanese knives which are made in a different type of steel.

The knife blade of Japanese knives has a special design and they can become very sharp if sharpened the right way. The steel used for that type of knives affects the various raw materials. By using various cutting techniques you can emphasize the aromas, taste and quality of the raw materials for sushi.

At Sushi course for beginners you will learn how to apply the basic Japanese cutting techniques.

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.