Denmark's Most Experienced Sushi Chef Zoë Escher

2019: Zoë was the judge for the daily newspaper Politiken in connection with testing food for their readers.
2016: Zoë held the official opening speech and opened the fair Formland Spring in Messecenter Herning in Denmark. At the opening of the fair there were 49 people from the press, 20 VIP and 271 exhibitors.
2015: Zoë has made sushi and Japanese dishes as private dining at home of US ambassador in Denmark Rufus Gifford.
2013: Rated as Denmark’s sushi expert no. 1 by gourmet supermarket chain Irma. Zoë was also guest judget at Masterchef Denmark season 3. Zoë has made sushi and Japanese dishes as staff food to the 3 star Michelin restaurant

Zoë is known from Danish magazines and TV such as Copenhagen Food, ALT for Damerne, Berlingske, Femina, IN, Mad & Bolig, TV3 and the consumer council magazine “THINK”.

Reference: Restaurant Geranium***, A.P. Møller – Mærsk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Ikea, Novartis, Velux, Takeda Pharma, Haldore Topsøe, Dansk Byggeri, Deloitte, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Symphogen and many more.

Did you know that barbecue is eaten all year in Japan?

July 3, 2023May 4, 2023 by Zoë Escher

In Japan, there are several types of barbecue dishes, which are eaten all year.
Yakitori skewers, which most people have heard of are small grilled skewers with different kinds of meat, seafood and vegetables, the raw materials are marinated, prepared and cooked in a specific way, so that each skewer is a unique taste experience.

There is also another type of grilled dishes called Yakiniku.
These are restaurants that specialize in barbecue dishes where the guests cook the food themselves. Restaurants that are furnished in such a way that each party have their own grill.

In these restaurants, the menu consists of several different types of meat, seafood and vegetables cut into one centimeter thick slices.
Before the food is cooked on a hot grill, the party has the opportunity to season the raw materials with a little salt and other spices. After cooking the meat, seafood and vegetables they are eaten by dipping them in different kinds of tasty sauce.
Dining at a yakiniku restaurant often takes several hours, since you are not in a hurry and often sit and enjoy the food at your own pace.

Several people have asked me over the years how to make yakitori skewers.
I have written a mini e-book “5 Japanese yakitori skewers for one”. It is an e-book that explains step by step how to make tasty yakitori skewers using Japanese cooking techniques. Tasty barbecue skewers prepared with different kinds of meat and vegetables.

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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.

Did you know that there is a right way to use soy sauce for sushi?

April 27, 2023 by Zoë Escher

The correct way to use soy sauce for sushi is to consider soy sauce as a condiment. Soy sauce can be equated with salt and pepper, it is a way of flavoring the food.

Most people are aware that when you sprinkle too much salt and pepper on your food, you might find it difficult enjoy the food. It can be almost inedible. The same can apply with soy sauce.

It can be difficult to dose the amount of soy sauce when you dip a piece of sushi into the soy bowl. Some prefer to leave a piece of sushi in the soy sauce for a few seconds before eating it.
I can’t recommend doing that, especially if you’ve spent money on good quality sushi. It will be more difficult to taste the fish and the different vegetables. The soy sauce will cover the natural taste of sushi.

The best way to eat sushi is to dip the individual pieces of sushi quite lightly in the soy sauce. That way you can enjoy the taste of the individual pieces of sushi and get the most flavor for the money.

On the Sushi course for beginners you learn, step by step, how to make sushi with the most flavor possible.

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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.

The reason why your kitchen knives should Always be sharp!

April 21, 2023April 21, 2023 by Zoë Escher

In the last 10 years, I have seen several thousand kitchen knives that are used in private homes. Many of these knives are not quite as sharp as they should be for you to get the full enjoyment.

I can give an example.

If you imagine that you have prepared a roast in the oven. The roast has now been sitting in your kitchen counter for 20 minutes to rest.
In the meantime, you have found your best knife to cut the meat. With the knife you cut the roast into slices, but it is not that easy. The knife you have used is not quite as sharp as when you bought it.
When you have finished, you look at the slices and see that some of the slices are a little uneven and that the meat has also pulled a little. Most people do not think about it, because the roast is enjoyed with side dishes and a delicious sauce.

In Japanese cuisine, it is very important to use a very sharp knife. It is very important that the functionality of the kitchen utensils is as good as possible, as this affects the quality of the food.

The picture shows a tuna steak, which has an even and smooth surface due to the sharpness of the knife.

On the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make tasty sushi with kitchen tools that are already in your kitchen.

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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.

What is the main dish made on the Japanese cooking course for beginners?

April 13, 2023 by Zoë Escher

One of the main dishes on the course is teriyaki salmon with side dish.

This is not just any salmon. I got the most delicious Faroese salmon of the finest quality. A salmon that can also be eaten as it is, by which I mean that it is perfectly suited for sushi. The salmon must be marinated and prepared before it is ready to be cooked.

The teriyaki sauce is of course made from scratch. It tastes 10 times better than what you can buy in supermarkets. It is so good that once you have tasted it, it is a sauce that works very well to almost everything, just like béarnaise.

The side dish is a wonderful dish are a boost of taste, vitamins, minerals and other goodness from the plant world. Here you learn to use several different Japanese cutting techniques.

The next step in the creation of the dish is that it must be prepared and the dish must be assembled.

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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.

How fresh can seafood be?

April 7, 2023 by Zoë Escher

Seafood can be so fresh that it is still at body temperature when eaten.

Japan is a country surrounded by sea. Fresh fish and rice have been the most important raw materials in Japanese cuisine for centuries.

Japanese food culture is still based on raw materials being as fresh as possible. There are several reasons for this.

The Japanese population has grown up with shellfish being no more than a day old before it is cooked into tasty dishes. This applies to both fish bought from a fishmonger or in a supermarket.

Japanese cuisine has several iconic dishes where fish and shellfish are eaten raw, such as sushi.

The Japanese have the opportunity to buy raw materials that are either caught or harvested the same day.

The Japanese are very focused on eating healthy and fresh ingredients of the highest quality. It gives joy in life, but also healthy health. It is no coincidence that the Japanese are the population in the world that live the longest.

On the Sushi Course for Beginners, you learn to make tasty sushi step by step with a focus on how to get the most value without compromising on quality.

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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.

What is the first dish made on the course Japanese cooking course for beginners?

April 4, 2023 by Zoë Escher

The first dish that is made on the course is Gyoza.

Before we dive into the actual cooking, you will be introduced to Japanese raw materials, ingredients and Japanese cooking techniques. The reason for that is that I teach how to cook Japanese dishes as they are prepared in restaurants in Japan. This means that if the dishes are meant to taste like in Japan, then we need to take a closer look at how the Japanese cuisine works.

We start with the popular gyoza with pork. It is a dish that can be enjoyed as a snack with a glass of white wine or an appetizer.

First, several different raw materials must be sliced, chopped and grated, and together with Japanese ingredients, becomes face meat.
You will then learn step by step the various hand techniques so that you can make the tasty gyoza that are served in Japanese restaurants.
Gyoza must be prepared in their very own way. Step by step you learn to use the techniques used by chefs in Japan.

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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.

What is the difference between a Danish Sushi Chef and a Japanese Sushi Chef?

March 28, 2023 by Zoë Escher

The biggest difference between a Danish and a Japanese Sushi Chef is the food. Yep, I said the food.

Sushi prepared by a Danish Sushi Chef tastes completely different from Sushi prepared by a Japanese Sushi Chef. There are several reasons for this.

Danish Sushi Chefs have a completely different professional background than Japanese sushi chefs. In Japan, different requirements are placed on the skills of Sushi Chefs.

Danish Sushi Chefs use different ingredients in the preparation of sushi than Japanese Sushi Chefs. Japanese chefs use ingredients that highlight the flavor of exactly the fish used for sushi. The taste is highlighted in a way that creates a unique gastronomic experience.

Danish Sushi Chefs use other cooking techniques in making sushi. It ranges from cooking sushi, filleting fish and not least the hand techniques for making the sushi pieces.

On the Sushi Course for Beginners, you learn, step by step, how to make sushi like Japanese Sushi Chefs. You do this because Japanese sushi have the best tastes. You also get the best tips about, which ingredients are best suited for and how to handle fish the best way.

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.

What types of meat does teriyaki sauce go with?

March 28, 2023March 24, 2023 by Zoë Escher

Japan is one of those countries that eats a lot of dipping, a kind of sauce to most dishes.

In classic Japanese cuisine, sauces are made to suit the dish in question. Dishes such as tempura, tonkatsu and okonomiyaki to name a few use sauces made for each dish.

However, this does not apply to all of Japanese cuisine. The Japanese kitchen is very very large. In Europe, only a fraction of classic Japanese cuisine is represented.

One of the Japanese sauces that more and more people in Europe have noticed is teriyaki sauce. Most people know the version that can be found in the supermarket. However, it tastes completely different from teriyaki sauce, which is made from scratch and served in restaurants in Japan.

One of the reasons for its popularity also in Japan is that it goes well with several types of meat. In Japan, it is most often eaten with chicken and fish dishes. It is also suitable for dishes with pork, vegetables or large prawns.

Teriyaki sauce made from scratch is a winner. It’s a sauce that most people eat with a spoon when they first taste it. The taste is deep, round, salty, sweet and has a perfect balance.

In the Traditional Japanese Food Course for Beginners, you will learn step by step how to make a teriyaki sauce from scratch, as it is served in Japan. A sauce that is suitable for starters, main courses and several types of meat.

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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.

In Japan, what ingredients do sushi chefs use to make sushi rolls?

April 7, 2023March 21, 2023 by Zoë Escher

Sushi chefs in Japan have their very own definition of sushi. Sushi is vinegar-marinated rice with added local ingredients.
In Japan, you will often find Japanese sushi chefs that uses different types of fish and vegetables when they make sushi, and this applies to both nigiri and sushi rolls.

Japan is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and you find many tropical fish in the area. Tropical fish that never reach European latitudes. Some of these fish are also used for sushi. There are types of fish that are best suited for nigiri, while others are used for both nigiri and sushi rolls.

In Japan, the selection of vegetables is large, there are many types of vegetables that cannot be found in Europe.
In Tokyo, Japanese sushi chefs make sushi rolls with either shiitake mushroom or pickled plum. These are not the only vegetables that sushi chefs use when they make sushi rolls.

If you travel to Japan, you should not be surprised if you are served a roll that contains raw materials that are not so common outside of Japan.
On the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make tasty sushi from scratch with raw materials that are most in demand for sushi in Denmark.

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.

Which Japanese dish is best for an appetizer?

March 28, 2023March 15, 2023 by Zoë Escher

A classic Japanese dinner often consists of several courses, somewhere between 10-12 courses in size.

Some Japanese dishes are better suited as a starter than others. One of the most popular small dishes that are suitable for both a starter and a main course are Japanese gyoza. It is a dish that can be enjoyed all year round, with friends, family or on festive occasions.

Japanese gyoza originally originated in China. In China, goyza is called dumplings and the selection of dumplings in China is very, very large. Several hundred years ago, dumplings came to Japanese cuisine, where they were adapted with local ingredients and flavors to what we know today as gyoza.

On the Traditional Japanese cooking course for beginners, you learn how to make the classic version of gyoza from scratch. In addition to learning to use different cooking techniques and hand techniques, you also gain an insight into which ingredients you should use to get the most flavor and value for your money.

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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.