How is the popular street food dish okonomiyaki made?

The last time I ate the Japanese dish okonomiyaki was in 2015 in Tokyo.
It was with Mrs. Takahashi, her youngest daughter who is in her mid-30s, her son-in-law and nephew.

One Friday early evening after training, she asked me if I had tasted okonomiyaki. It is one of her favorite dishes. I have never tasted it.
We went to her favorite restaurant, which is a tiny place that does not look like much from the street. We went up on a very narrow staircase to the first floor, down a narrow corridor and sat down in a 4-person booth with a large frying pan on the table.

Large cold draft beers were brought to the table. Soon after, a chef came and cooked us a very large okonomiyaki. While it was being cooked we could decide what kind of filling to add. When it was finished, it was cut into several smaller pieces.

Over the years I have been asked how okonomiyaki is made. It can be made in many ways.
I prefer it to be made with Japanese ingredients, raw materials and cooking techniques it has the best taste.

It has become a Mini e-book: 5 Japanese okonomiyaki for 1.

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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 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 many different kinds of gyoza are there in Japan?

Gyoza
When you visit restaurants in Japan, there is one kind of gyoza on the menu.
Yep, it’s good enough. In the classic Japanese cuisine of Japan, there is only one traditional Japanese gyoza.

You can easily find other restaurants in Tokyo that have several different dumplings on the menu. It will often be Chinese restaurants.
That does not mean it is bad. There are exceptional dumplings restaurants in Tokyo, some of the best restaurants are Chinese.

In Japan, gyoza is often eaten as a snack or an appetizer with a glass of beer.

In Tokyo you will find gyoza restaurants that specialize in making gyoza of different qualities. They only have gyoza on the menu. These are restaurants that many Japanese visits on their way home from work.

In the Traditional Japanese food course for beginners, you will learn step by step how to make the classic delicious Japanese gyoza.

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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 the Japanese diet pyramid contain?

Gyoza
The Japanese diet pyramid looks different from the Danish diet pyramid.

Japanese cuisine contains basic items which are a “must”.
It is rice, seafood, soybeans and seaweed. These are the basic elements of Japanese cuisine. They are essential and absolutely indispensable. The Japanese eat much seafood as we eat meat.

The Japanese also eat meat and vegetables. However, the Japanese do not eat as much meat as we do in Europe. They eat the same amount of meat as we eat fish.

In Japanese cuisine, several different types of cabbage are used. Cabbage is eaten in many different ways and, is a staple in Japanese cuisine. Of course, the Japanese also eat many vegetables that we know in Europe such as carrots, spring onions and cucumbers.

In Traditional Japanese food course for beginners, you learn step by step, how to make tasty dishes with Japanese ingredients, Japanese ingredients and Nordic ingredients.

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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 the Japanese eat cabbage?

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.