Zoë Escher

Is it a good idea to buy fish for sushi in the supermarket?

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I think that it is a bad idea.

Sushi is a dish where all the fish is basically eaten raw. This means that fish must be as fresh as possible and of the highest quality.

The quality of fish used for sushi is only available in a limited amount in the world seas. This is known to all who sell fish.

If you buy fish in the supermarket, then you do not know where it has been caught. There are some places in the world where the fish are better than other.

Besides, you also don’t know how old the fish is. On the packaging of fish sold in the supermarket you will be able to see when it has been packed and shelf life. It is far more difficult to find out when the fish has been caught.

On the Sushi course for beginners I talk a lot more about fish 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.

Do you know how use Japanese knife techniques?

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The level of gastronomy in Japan is very high one reason for that is that Japanese chefs spend several years learning how to use different cutting techniques.
In Japan the quality of the dishes depends on your ability to prepare raw materials by using different cutting techniques.

If you do not know how to use your knife you will find it difficult to make a extraordinaire tasty dishes.
You will not be able to bring out the unique flavors of the ingredients and create unique dishes.

Using a knife the right way is just as important when making sushi as in making traditional Japanese dishes.

Read more about Traditional Japanese cooking class 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.

Can all types of fish be used for sushi?

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Basically all types of fish can be used for sushi.

However not all types of fish are suitable for being used for sushi. There are many types of fish which do have a high enough quality for sushi. For fish to approved for sushi the fish has to meet specific requirements. Fish used for sushi have the finest quality and the reason that is that fish is eaten raw.

Most people know that the tuna is a threatened fish species.
It is partly true. The tuna used for sushi is threatened. There is plenty of tuna in the sea which just cannot be used for sushi because the quality is not high enough.

It is the fishmongers who know if the fish is suitable for sushi. This is because they know where they bought the fish.

On the Sushi course for beginners you learn more about the fish used 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.

Memory: Japan’s most famous kendo dojo

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I am jumping a bit in time for 2017.

In summer 2017 I was in Tokyo and I had an appointment with my teacher that I should have some kata practice.

I had to be dressed and be ready for training at. 6.00 am. When you have an appointment with my teacher, you will NOT be late unless you have been run over by a bus.

I showed up at the address and couldn’t get through the grid gate to Noma dojo. The Noma dojo was built in 1925 and it is the most famous kendo dojo in Japan and, to train, one must be invited.

Next to the building is a police station. All police officers in Japan practice kendo it is part of their job. Some of the best kendo athletes in the world are police officers. I went in there and explained to the officer who did not speak English that I was going to Noma dojo to practice.

He went along to the grid gate. I show him my teacher’s business card and point to the gate. He called spoke to a woman lady and, shortly after, the gate was opened. He points out which way to go.

During my stay I practiced a few times in Noma dojo. For me, training in such a beautiful and historic kendo dojo is a great experience.

The photo shows my teacher Hirakawa sensei (older gentleman) and a colleague Okada sensei that is very famous in Japan.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

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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 characterizes Japanese cuisine?

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Traditional Japanese everyday dishesI do not think there exist a country with such a wide and varied cuisine as Japan.

The Japanese cuisine in itself is very large with many local specialties and regional dishes. You can also find restaurants from the near surrounding countries such as China and Korea.

Europe is slowly making their entry into the Japanese market. You see several restaurants that make classic dishes from European cuisine.
Raw materials from Europe are also found on Japanese shelves in the supermarket.

It’s hard to describe how large and diverse the Japanese cuisine is as it cannot be compared with any other country. With 20 million residents just in Tokyo you can tell that restaurants is very important in the city.

Please read more about the Traditional cooking class 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.

Gem

Gem

Authentic Japanese Teriyaki sauce which you can eat with a spoon

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Teriyaki sauce has become a popular sauce which is often used on Japanese dishes. Most people in Europe know only the one which can be bought in most supermarkets and Asian shops.

Teriyaki sauce made from scratch taste completely different. It is a sauce that is so nice and has so much taste that the one who taste it for the first time will eat it directly from the pot with a spoon.

On the course Traditional Japanese cooking class for beginners the attendants learn how to make teriyaki salmon from scratch. It is a dish that highlights the salmon’s unique aromas and the teriyaki sauce gives the dish an extra dimension.

Read more about Traditional Japanese cooking class 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.

What is Japanese chef’s view of classic Japanese dishes?

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In Europe and the rest of the world sushi has become a very popular dish.
The Japanese are fond of sushi, but the Japanese cuisine has many other delicate styles to offer.

What most people are not aware of is that the rest of the Japanese kitchen is very neutral in its expression. This is due to the fact that in Japanese cuisine Japanese chefs focus on using hand techniques. I am not only thinking about the hand techniques to use when you mold buns to be baked in an oven.

I am thinking of hand techniques where it takes 20 years of masters. Techniques where you exercise refined your movements so that the gastronomic experience gets better year after year.

On the course “Traditional Japanese cooking class for beginners” who learn as a course student to use different techniques in the preparation of tasty dishes.

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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 biggest challenge as a beginner?

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There are many challenges if you’ve never made sushi before.

There is of course a big difference if the sushi is made at home or in in a restaurant.

There is a few challenging such as,

Selecting the Japanese ingredients and raw materials used for sushi.
To cook tasty and perfect rice.
To fillet and cut fish in the right quality for sushi.
To prepare various raw materials for sushi
Create tasty sushi so the raw materials are in harmony and becomes a unique dinning experience.

My most important task at the different sushi classes  that I give is to teach my attendants the Japanese tools to make tasty sushi in a quality that you can delight family and friends with homemade tasty sushi.

Please 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.

Gem

How often do the Japanese eat cabbage?

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Most people believe that sushi is one of the most important dishes in Japanese cuisine. The Japanese love sushi, but sushi makes up less than 15% of Japanese cuisine. That’s because Japanese cuisine has so many tasty dishes and unique styles to offer.

One of the ingredients that the Japanese eat almost every day is cabbage. In Japan, cabbage is not just cabbage.

There are several different types of cabbage and different kinds of kale. Some varieties of cabbage and kale are eaten raw and others are best suited for squeezing juice.

There are also the varieties of kale that are prepared in different ways e.g. for a soup.

Common to all of them is that cabbage and kale is prepared in a delicate way so it is a gastronomic experience to eat cabbage and kale several times a week without it getting boring.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

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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.

How often should you sharpen Japanese knives?

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There is not a specific rule for that.

It depends on the material your knife is made of. Some Japanese knives need to be sharpened every time it has been used and others need to be sharpened a few times a year.

The knives that I use in my work as Japanese trained sushi chef are all purchased in Japan. They are high quality knives and made of high carbon steel.
The advantage of this type of knife is that the Japanese knives can become very sharp which has a positive impact on the meals that I prepare. The disadvantage is that the knives need to be sharpened very often. They do also tend to rust very easily.

Read more about Sushikok & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

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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.