“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


Which chopsticks are best suited for sushi?


It depends on how good you are at using chopsticks. If you are as experienced as the Japanese in Tokyo, then you can use chopsticks that are made in different materials. Lately I have been seeing chopsticks in steel.

The Japanese would never make chopsticks out of steel. They are too slippery to hold in the hand, difficult to grasp the food and they are difficult to eat with. Also, steel is not a material found in nature.

In Japan, the preferred material for chopsticks is wood. However, there are many different types of wood used for chopsticks. In Japan, the design of chopsticks plays a big role. They should be easy to hold between the fingers, easy to eat with and the design should be Japanese.

It is easy to see on chopsticks if they are easy to use. They are made in a design that makes them comfortable to hold in the hand. The outer part of the chopsticks will have a slightly rough surface like sandpaper. It makes it easy to hold on to the food.

The Japanese families like that chopsticks are made in many different designs and quality, so there is little to choose from.

Read 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.

When do the Japanese prefer to eat a bowl of hot noodle soup?

Noodle soup
In Japan, a bowl of hot noodle soup is eaten all year round. Yes, even on hot summer days.
In Japan there is a large selection of noodle soups, each region and each noodle bar has their very own version. Some soups are made on chicken stock, while others are made on pork or fish.

Noodle soup is a healthy fast food that is eaten on all days of the week in Japan. It is a dish that fits into the hectic and busy life that many Japanese live. Many Japanese work an average of 10-15 hours a day.

In Europe so far, many people prefer to eat noodle soups in the autumn / spring and in the winter. In Europe, noodle soups are also eaten on slightly cloudy days.

Read about Noodle soup 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 all restaurants in Japan use the real Japanese wasabi?


I have been traveling to Japan since 2004 to broaden my horizons and, learning new things from my Japanese teacher. Under normal circumstances, I travel to the Japan every year and on my many trips, I have had many gastronomic experiences ranging from everyday sushi to 2 star Michelin restaurants.

Real wasabi is widespread in Japan. However, not all restaurants use the real wasabi, even in Japan. Usually only Michelin sushi restaurants use the real wasabi.

I have tasted the real wasabi several times in Japan and, I cannot taste the difference. The strong taste disappears a little faster when it comes to the real wasabi.

Wasabi is a horseradish that grows in Japan. It has difficulty growing outside of Japan and therefore artificial wasabi is used. In Denmark, artificial wasabi is widespread it is only a few restaurants that import wasabi from abroad.

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.

That’s the reason why the Japanese drink a cup of miso soup every day!

Many have become aware that the Japanese drink a cup of hot miso soup a day. Several in Europe have traveled on holiday in Japan and have noticed that, while others have heard about it.

In Japan, the classic Japanese miso soup is made from scratch. Beside fermented soybean paste, the soup is packed with vitamins and minerals that the body enjoys.

As the soup primarily contains miso paste, it has a high content of vegetable protein, which is healthier than animal product. Soybeans are a low-fat product as they do not contain fat such as a steak.

The soup is also rich in vitamins and minerals. Japanese seaweed is also included in the soup.In Japan, there are many different types of seaweed. Not all seaweed varieties are suitable for miso soup. Of course, it is important to choose the right one otherwise the soup tastes less good.

But such overall is seaweed is a very healthy vegetable. It is the vegetable in the world that contains the most vitamins and minerals.

Read more about Noodle Soup course for beginners, where healthy and nutritious Japanese ingredients and raw materials are a must in the traditional Japanese noodle soups.

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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 fish is most often eaten in the fall in Japan?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
Mackerel is a fish that is very popular in Japan.

In Denmark, mackerel is most often eaten as smoked pepper mackerel. A freshly smoked pepper mackerel tastes great.

In Japan, fish is not smoked in the same way as in Denmark. The Japanese prefer to eat fresh fish cooked in several different ways.

Mackerel is a fish that the Japanese especially enjoy in the fall. All fish have a cycle and mackerel is an autumn fish in Japan.

It is a fish that is suitable for sushi.
It is a fish that is not eaten without any kind of preparation. It is always put in rice vinegar and marinated before being used for sushi.

It is also a fish that is enjoyed in traditional Japanese cuisine. The whole fish with head and tail is grilled. It is also served that way. As a guest, you sit with chopsticks and separate the fish and eat the meat.

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 pumpkin do the Japanese prefer to eat?

In recent years, pumpkins have become more and more popular.
Halloween is an American tradition which a number of years ago found its way to Denmark. Cutting orange pumpkins has gradually also becomes a tradition in Denmark.

Because of Halloween, more and more people want to eat pumpkins. Today there are many different kinds of pumpkins and have found their way to the Danish supermarkets.

Most people are familiar with the orange pumpkin called Hokkaido, which is available in all supermarkets. It was once cultivated in Japan, from which the name originates. Today it is grown outside Japan.

This dark green pumpkin which I got know when travelling in Japan, is available in Denmark, but only at few supermarket.

It’s called Kabocha.

In Japan, it is eaten in many different ways in traditional Japanese cuisine.
I tasted it for the first time in Japan in 2004. I got it for lunch where there was a piece in a bento box. I also ate it in the evening at the home of one of my teachers in Tokyo.

It is a pumpkin type that I have learned to like a lot the Japanese way.

Read more about Japanese noodle soup course for beginners, where noodle soups are made with Japanese ingredients and ingredients in the same way as, Japanese 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.

What kind of sushi is most popular outside of Japan?

There is a certain type of sushi that is very popular outside of Japan, it is sushi rolls.

In most of Europe and especially Denmark, sushi rolls are very popular.
In Europe, we do not eat as much seafood as the Japanese. It takes less fish to eat before we are satisfied and happy. This makes sushi rolls an obvious choice.

Sushi rolls can be made in many different ways with fish and shellfish.

In Japan, it is normal to use local ingredients for sushi such as mushrooms and plums.
In Europe, local ingredients are also used for sushi like different kinds of vegetables you will find on the menu in sushi restaurants.

The most important thing is that sushi rolls are made from ingredients that complement each other in this way, so that it becomes a tasteful experience to eat the food.

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.

Why is ramen noodle soup the most sought out fast food in Japan?

Ramen noodles are the most popular fast food in Japan. There are several reasons for this.

The Japanese live a busy life like so many others. They work an average of 10-15 hours a day.
In the big cities, a noodle bar is located in most streets. When the Japanese are on their way home from work, there are many who visit a noodle bar on the way.

From the time they pull a food ticket in the vending machine to a bowl of smoky hot noodle soup placed in front of you, not many minutes go by. For most Japanese, it takes no more than 10 minutes to eat the food until they are on their way.

In Japan, there are many types of noodles soup.

Many eateries have developed their very own soups, which have been passed down from generation to generation. It also means that it is a new experience to visit the local noodle soup bars as soups are not the same.

On the Noodle soup course for beginners, you will learn step by step how to make 2 very different noodle soups including a ramen soup as it tastes 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 purpose of pickled ginger for sushi?


Most people enjoy pickled ginger when eating sushi. It is on most sushi plate.

In Japan, ginger is included in Japanese cuisine, as is salt and pepper in Danish cuisine.

Many thousands of years ago, the Japanese began pickling ginger. At that time, refrigerators did not exist and, it was the best way to retain vitamins and extend shelf life.

The purpose of pickled ginger for sushi is to clean the mouth between the sushi pieces. It happens completely automatically when you eat ginger the powerful and spicy taste to tease the senses and leave the mouth ready to enjoy the next piece of sushi.

But, it is not a “must” to eat ginger between the sushi pieces.

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 Scandinavian fish do the Japanese love?


Yep, it’s good enough.
There is a fish species in Scandinavia which is imported to Japan. It is the fish that most people in Denmark like, namely salmon.

In Scandinavia, the selection of high quality salmon is very large freshly caught salmon from the Faroe Islands and Norway land daily in Denmark and wild salmon from Iceland on a regular basis.
The salmon is of such a good quality that Japanese fish importers have visited Scandinavia to take a closer look at the fish.

Salmon is a fish that is not found in the wild in Japan. It is a tropical climate in the latitudes where completely different fish species thrive and which are not available in Denmark.

The Scandinavian salmon is very popular in Japan and, found in the refrigerated counter at supermarkets throughout the country.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you learn how to make delicious and tasty sushi with the coveted Faroese salmon. Of course, it is not just any Faroese salmon it is the best in the world.

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.