“In Japans your education never ends. In 2012 I was introduced to a nigiri hand technique that takes 20 years to master I think that is fascinating” – 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.

For the Danish version of this website click on Zoë Escher – Det Autentiske japanske køkken


5 vegetarian Japanese noodles soups for one
5 Japanese okonomiyaki for one

Price 60 DKK
Read the introduction to
the mini ebook:
5 vegetarian Japanese noodle soups for one

Price 60 DKK
Read the introduction to the mini ebook:
5 Japanese yakitori skewers for one

Price 60 DKK
Read the introduction to the mini ebook:
5 healthy Japanese onigiri for one

Price 60 DKK
Read the introduction to
the mini ebook:
5 Japanese Okonomiyaki for One

To see the entire ebook collection click on Webshop by Sushikok Zoë Escher


How much miso do the Japanese eat?

The Japanese eat a lot of miso. It is part of Japanese cuisine just like pasta is, in Italian cuisine.

Miso contains soybeans, sake, water and a sponge.
This mixture is allowed to ferment for a period of time. The length of the period is very different it depends on what kind of miso to make.

There are several different kinds of miso pasta of different strengths and flavors, a bit like cheese. The mild miso pastas are light and relatively mild in taste.
The slightly stronger and stronger miso paste has been fermenting for a long time. The color of miso paste is darker and, partly the taste is much more intense, has deep and seems more spicy in taste.

Miso contains many vitamins, minerals and has a detoxifying effect on the body, which is why miso is eaten every day in Japan.

Read more about 14 days of Okinawa miso soup – Superfood

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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 often do sushi restaurants in Japan replace in the menu?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
Japanese sushi restaurants in Tokyo change the menu more often than in Europe.Often the menu will consist of 13-15 different seafood. Some fish such as salmon and scallops can be found year-round on the menu.

There will typically be 3-5 fish on the mennu that follow the season for fish. Some fish are caught in the spring when they are going to spawn, while other fish are to be caught in the summer. It depends on the species of fish.

A fish like tuna is also popular in Japan.
Often a sushi restaurant will have 3 different kinds of tuna on the menu. It will often be tuna of different qualities, one will be lean tuna, another will fat tuna and the more exclusive restaurants have a tuna on the menu, which is matured just like beef. Tuna can be matured for several weeks just like beef.

Some sushi restaurants have the fish of the day on the menu. There it is up to the sushi chef what can be bought of fish on the fishing market in the early morning hours.

In Japan, it is an exciting experience to go out and eat, since you do not always know what fish are on the menu.

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 does onigiri mean?

5 healthy japanese onigiri for one
Onigiri is a Japanese word and means Japanese rice ball.
Rice plays an important role in Japanese cuisine. It is a staple food cuisine and is found in every Japanese home.
Most people have heard of short grain rice used for sushi rice. It is also the type of rice used for onigiri.
In Japan, the tasty rice ball contains one to two ingredients that compliment each other really well.

To ensure that the body also gets the vitamins and nutrition it needs, Sushi nori is wraped tightly, around the rice ball, so that it lies completely smooth. So with quite a few ingredients, rice ball embraces the entire diet pyramid.

Several have asked for healthy Japanese Onigiri. I have made a Mini e-book “5 healthy Japanese onigiri for 1”, where I teach you step by step how to make the tasty rice balls with filling.

Read more about  Mini ebook: 5 healthy Japanese onigiri for one, price 60 DKK

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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.

When does the asparagus season start in Europe?


Asparagus is a vegetable that thrives in Europe.

In May the asparagus season starts, the green market abounds with several different types of asparagus.

The classic green asparagus which is full of flavors and aromas.

The white thick asparagus which has a more delicate and gentle asparagus taste. In Europe the white asparagus is more in demand than the green asparagus.

In selected supermarkets and at market markets you can also get purple asparagus. The purple asparagus is more sweet and nutty in taste.

In Denmark you can get asparagus in different qualities and budget.
The biodynamic asparagus of the best quality can often be found in market markets. More and more farm owners have opened their eyes to having a stand in major cities on the weekends and during the busiest periods.
Stall sells fruit and vegetables that are harvested the same day they are sold.

The asparagus season is short. It starts in the month of May and ends late June.

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, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

In what way does Japanese cuisine differ from the rest of the world?

Okinawa Miso Soup - Super Food
Japanese cuisine is quite unique in several different ways.
It is almost tailored to those who are interested in health and what is good for the body without compromising on taste. Japanese cuisine is put together in such a way that it either detoxifies or nourishes the body.

Yep, that is true. The Japanese are very conscious about what they eat. This is one of the main reasons why the Japanese are the people in the world who live the longest.

Going all-in and eating like the Japanese is hard.
The Japanese have a completely different view of diet and, their diet pyramid looks very different. A classic Japanese meal often consists of 10-12 small dishes. Dishes that contain fish, meat, vegetables and soybeans prepared in several different ways.

The Japanese are good at boosting health in small ways. Here I also think about what they drink during the day.

Miso or fermented soybeans are a regular part of Japanese cuisine. It is a raw material that is not to be missed. It is super food that in the right contexts boosts health. I know that most people live a busy life, but at the same time have a desire to live a healthy life.

For them, I have put together a 14-day course where you boost your health with healthy and nutritious soups. It is a process that matches a busy everyday life.

Read more about 14-day Okinawa miso soup – super food

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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 many different types of soy sauce are used in Japanese cuisine?

Rice, soy and vinegar
In Denmark, the selection of Japanese soy sauce is very small and there are several reasons for this.

In Denmark, soy sauce is used in a different way than in Japanese cuisine. In Japan, soy sauce is considered a spice.

Our knowledge of Japanese soy sauce is very limited. In Japan, the labels are written on bottles with Japanese characters. This makes it difficult to figure out which soy sauce is used in which dishes.

In Japan, there are as many soy sauces in a Japanese supermarket as the selection of cheese in a Danish supermarket, which means that it does matter which soy sauce is used when cooking Japanese food.

Japanese soy sauce is a main ingredient in Japanese cuisine it gives the Japanese flavors and aromas that characterize food served in Tokyo.

In the Traditional Japanese cooking class for beginners, you will learn how to make tasty Japanese dishes where different soy sauce is used simultaneously in some of the dishes. Authentic Japanese dishes made from scratch.

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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.

When will it be possible to travel to Japan?


As one of the few countries in the world, Japan has been hardest hit by the shutdown in connection with Corona entered in 2020.
All types of visas were suspended and borders were closed to the whole world. They still are.

However, Japan has gradually begun to allow business travelers and students to travel into the country. They still need to be quarantined.

In the last 2 years, Japan had several shutdowns some regions such as Tokyo have been shut down on a regular basis due to the population density. Face mask are not unknown in Japan. In 2004 when I visited the country for the first time, I saw Japanese walking around with face mask.

Temperature measurement is also used in several places in Japan such as in hotels.

When Japan opens up to tourists is hard to tell. My guess will be autumn 2022 or spring 2023. It will definitely be a country where one has to have a negative test when traveling into the country. I can also imagine being tested on arrival at the airport.
There will most likely be quarantine rules of varying duration depending on how many vaccines one has received.

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, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Can all types of ingredients be used in a Japanese noodle soup?

Noodle soup
Basically yes.

In Japan, noodle soups are considered a fast food dish. Like so many the Japanese lives a busy life. They work 10-15 hours a day and have family, friends and leisure activities that also need to be taken care of. Noodle soups are suitable for a busy everyday life, which is often eaten on the way from work.

In Japan, noodle soups are the Japanese answer to pizza and shawarma.

In Japan, many more types of stock are made for such as pork, chicken and fish for noodle soups. For the soups, many different types of raw materials and ingredients are used for and, this means that there are no 2 noodle bars that make the same soup.

In the Japanese noodle Soup course for beginners, you learn step by step to make 2 very different noodle soups, which can be enjoyed all year round.

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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.

Boost your health with 14 days of Okinawa miso soup – Super food!

Okinawa Miso Soup - Super Food
Spring is here and just in a little while summer is waiting around the corner.

Like most others, I need to boost my health with sun light and healthy food.
It looks like spring is here to stay with days filled with blue cloudless sky with warm rays of the sun.

Like my home, it’s time for a spring clean.
After a long winter, my body gets an extra boost of nourishing and healthy vitamins. There I always turn to Japanese cuisine.

Basically, Japanese cuisine is composed in a way that either detoxifies or nourishes the body. Japanese cuisine is divided in such a way that some restaurants make dishes that are adapted to a busy everyday life, while other restaurants offer dinners that can be enjoyed over several hours on the weekend.

Especially on busy weekdays, the body may need an extra loving boost.
That is why I have made a 14-day course where you can give the body renewed energy with quite a few raw materials.
It is a course that you will receive by email and download to your computer.

Read more about 14 day Okinawa miso soup – Super food

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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 kind of stock is used for noodle soups in Japan?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
In Japan, many different kinds of stock are used for noodle soups.
The most popular are fish, pork and chicken. In Tokyo, restaurants and dinning places often make stock from scratch. Some stock takes many hours to make as Japanese ingredients are added at different stages in the preparation of the stock. The Japanese ingredients add to the stock gives the unique taste and aromas that characterize Japanese soups in Japan.

They are a little different what the Japanese families do.
Not all families have time for a busy day to make a stock. In Tokyo, supermarkets sell different types of stock. Some funds need to be dissolved in boiling water, while others are available by the glass.

Just like in Denmark, stocks can be bought in powder form or, as ready-made in a supermarket, but it can never replace a stock that is made from scratch. A stock made from scratch has a completely different taste and aromas that are not available in the powder version.

In the Noodle Soup course for beginners, you will learn how to make classic Japanese dashi stock, which forms the entire stock of Japanese cuisine a stock that is made in the same way as in the restaurants in Tokyo.

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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.