How often are raw jellyfish eaten in Japan?

More often than most people know.

At Japanese restaurants, you don’t place a freshly caught squid on the plate and send it directly to the guests. You would never do that.

A raw squid that often comes from China is “prepared” with the same care as any other raw material. Very few people discover that they have eaten squid. It took me 10 years to discover that.

For several years I had noticed that I was served something indefinable on a regular basis. It tastes fine and repared in a delicate way so I could not figure out what it was. In Denmark we do not have waterman on the menu.

One evening when I was dinning in Tokyo a Japanese friend told me that it was a jellyfish that I was eating.

Read more about Sushi 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.

Which vegetable is really good for sushi?

Farmers markets

There are several different vegetables that are suitable to be used for sushi.

In Denmark you can get different kinds of asparagus it is a vegetable that thrives in Denmark. The asparagus season is in spring. In Copenhagen you can go to the farmers market that sells different kinds of asparagus with unique aromas and flavores.
The supermarket usual has one kind of asparagues.

Asparagus is vegetable that is perfect for sushi since you can use it in different ways.

The season in spring is quite short so I encourage you to buy different varieties of different quality and enjoy the different flavors of taste. You don’t necessarily have to make sushi. You can also steam them quite easily and eat them with a little butter and salt.

Read more about the sushi class Sushi 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.

Sake is more sophisticated than “ordinary” wines

The Japanese rice wine sake has more dimensions than classic wines as we know it in Europe. Sake wines have a nice and a more silky smooth texture. Sake is not “heavy” that you can sometimes experience with wine.

The variety of aromas is greater in your wines. Some sake wines have a depth that you do not find in wines and other sake types smash your tongue.

And yes in some countries you can get sake with bubbles which is Japan’s interpretation of champagne.

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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.

Warm evenings, sunshine and sushi

Spring are here and summer is approaching with rapid steps.

The warm evenings offer barbecues, salads, fruit pies and not least sushi. There are quite a few people who prefers to eat dishes are not as heavy in the stomach as winter food.
Sushi is a diner that is ideal for the warm evenings with a good glass of white wine. With sushi, it will never be boring there are unlimited possibilities in the composition of a dinner.

More and more people are on making their own sushi with their favorite ingredients. At the Sushi course for beginners the attendances learn to use Japanese cooking techniques for preparing sushi.
They learn and about Japanese food stages they have to go through from raw materials, cooking of sushi rice, preparation of vegetables and fish, and step by step to making tasty sushi rolls.

You can read more about the class Sushi 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.

Which countries produce seaweed for sushi?

There are several different countries that produce seaweed for sushi.
Growing seaweed on the seabed is done with the same care and dedication as organic strawberries are produced in Europe.

The countries that produce seaweed for sushi are China, Korea and Japan. I have tasted different types of seaweed for sushi from the 3 different countries and there is a great difference in appearance, consistency and taste. Some types of seaweed taste a lot of sea but others are more neutral in taste.

Personally, I am mostly for seaweed types that do not taste too much of sea and which are crisp in consistency.

At the Sushi course for beginners the attendances learn more about seaweed 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.

Which vegetables are not suitable for sushi?

The vegetables are best suited for sushi must have texture and taste.
I’d rather not favor certain vegetables for the reason that there are local specialties that make that one vegetable is preferred over another.

There are always vegetables that are more suitable than others. Vegetables such as peppers, peas, lettuce, green beans, avocado and more.

At Sushi Course for vegetarians, you will learn to create and prepare different kinds of sushi, so the dinner turns into a gastronomic experience.

Read more about Sushi course for vegetarians

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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

That is why vegetarian sushi never gets boring!

From time to time I meet a person who is vegetarian or vegan. They are a little challenged when it comes to finding a sushi menu which they find interesting and delicious.

Vegetarian sushi is an underestimated dish.
There are so many different kinds of raw materials that are suitable for vegetarian sushi. Tasty and interesting vegetable beyond avocado and cucumber.
In Europe, you will experience that every season offers unique rar materials which are perfect for vegetarian sushi.

However, to turn raw materiale into to tasty and delicious sushi pieces you will have to sushi several Japanese cooking techniques since vegtables can be quite a challenge.

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.

Can vegetarian sushi turn into a gastronomic experience?

Yes also to that extent.

Most people have tasted a hosomaki (small roll) with either cucumber or avocado.
Vegetarian sushi is much more than that. Each and every material has its own unique flavor and aroma. Using different cooking techniques you can emphasize the qualities and nuances of the raw materials concerned.

With vegetarian sushi it is possible to make a tasty and delicate menu at the same level. This is because the selection of unique raw materials for vegetarian sushi is larger than the range of fish used for sushi.

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.

Does Japanese sushi taste very different?

Yes, it does.

Here the other day I ate sushi which was made in a Danish sushi restaurant.
The sushi tasted different because other ingredients are used. Denmark is also one of the countries where many kinds of topping are used on sushi pieces.

The sushi with topping had a less flavor than the sushi I make without topping which are normally served in Japanese restaurants.

Raw materials do have lot of flavor and taste and you should only use topping to give the dinning experience an extra dimension.

At the Sushi course for beginners you will learn to make delicious and tasty sushi pieces.

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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 the Japanese fish monger keeps fish in Tokyo

The Japanese have some strict rules for handling fish. On the cooking class I teach I follow the Japanese rules which are more strictly than the Danish rules. I do this for the health of the students.

It does matter how fish are stored.
All fish species have their own bacteria and to prevent the different bacteria from being transferred to each other it is best to keep fish separate.

In Japan, it is not enough that the different fish are kept separate. They are also wrapped in tightly closed films so that the fish do not dry out.
It is also important keep the fish cold all the time unless they are used in the preparation of sushi.

At Sushi course for beginners I talk more about handling 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.