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Memory: Opening of Formland Spring in the exhibition center Herning in Denmark, 2016

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In 2016 I held the opening speech and opened the exhibition Formland Spring in the exhibition center Herning in Denmark. I was asked by exhibition center Herning if I was interested in making a speech where I talked about Japan.

I said yes of cause it is one my favorit topics.

I spoke about Japan, Japanese culture and design.

When I had declared the fair open Seido Taiko played Japanese drums.

At the opening, 49 from the press, 20 VIPs and 271 exhibitors attended.

Opening the fair and talking about Japan was a fantastic experience.

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.

How long can Sushi last if stored in a refrigerator?

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Sushi is a dish that is different from other dishes in Japanese cuisine. It is a dish where the shelf life is very short.

Sushi should be eaten the same day it was purchased and there are several reasons.

Raw fish included in sushi together have shelf life as beef Tatar. Since there will be more bacteria in the food the next day.

Avocado is a raw material that quickly turns brown and dull. Most people know what half an avocado looks like the next day if it is not stored in the “right” way.

The individual rice grains also change in taste. The next day, the individual rice grains will be harder to chew.

At the Sushi course for beginners you will learn how to make tasty sushi that you can enjoy for lunch and dinner.

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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.

Are Japanese sushi restaurant in Tokyo different?

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TokyoThere are many different types of restaurants in Tokyo.

The most exclusive sushi restaurants in Tokyo are very different compared to European restaurants.
The size of a Japanese sushi restaurant can be very small.  There are many Japanese restaurants that has only room for 6 – 15 people. There are several reasons for that.

Tokyo has 20 million citizens living in a very small geographic area. Besides the many people living in Tokyo there are also many restaurants, street food and shops. There is almost a restaurant on every street in Tokyo so the competition in the neighborhood is fierce.

There is also another factor which is that the Japanese do not compromise on the quality of food and service. Tokyo is the city of the world with the highest quality of food.

Every restaurant try their best to provide the best food and service. The competition between the restaurants are very fierce. In order for a restaurant to succeed the has to be good.

Please 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.

Gem

Gem

Gem

Gem

What characterizes the unique Japanese aroma in classic Japanese dishes?

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The classic Japanese aroma that characterizes Japanese cuisine is quite unique. There is no other country in the world that has something similar.

The Japanese aroma basically consists of seaweed and dried fish.
In Japan there are seaweed and dried fish in many varieties and qualities. However, not everyone is used to making the classic aroma. There are varieties of seaweed that are only suitable for sushi, some for salads, others to make a fund, etc. And this also applies to dried fish.

The picture shows several different types of dried fish. Small dried fish used only for certain Japanese dishes.

On the course Traditional Japanese cooking class for beginners we explore and work with different types of Japanese soy sauce all of which play an important role in preparing classic Japanese dishes.

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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.

Is there a difference between soy sauce?

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Yes there is a very big difference between soy sauce.

In Japan, soy sauce is used as a spice it is a way of seasoning the dish food and give it the final finish.

In Japan, soy sauce is not just soy sauce. There are as many different kinds soy sauce just as many as the cheese shelf in an European supermarket. When the Japanese select a soy sauce they first look at the following,

Which dish should the soy sauce be used?
What other spices are used to taste the dish?
How powerful or mild is the dish?

This is because the Japanese want to use a soy sauce that highlights the right qualities without being dominant. It also means that it does matter which soy sauce is used for sushi.

At Sushi course for beginners I talk more about which Japanese soy sauce best suits 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 knife is used to cut fish for sushi?

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Sushi knifeThe best knife for sushi is a special knife called sushi knife. There are several types of knives but not all are equally good.

I prefer to use a good Japanese sushi knife. The Japanese have the best sushi knifes and cooking utensils designed for sushi. They do also have a huge knowledge about which knife is best for you.

The Japanese knife blade has a slope which is very important when you cut fish for sushi.
For those who do not know. I can taste if the sushi chef has used a Japanese sushi chef knife or a European knife.

The Japanese knifes are best for sushi.

Please 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, Accenture audit Elbek & Vejrup and many more.
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How often do the Japanese eat ramen soup?

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The Japanese people eat very often ramen soup. It is Japanese preferred fast food and it is eaten throughout the year. You can compare the Japanese ramen soup to grandma’s meatballs.

In big and small cities in Japan you will find noodle bars making their very own version of ramen soup. In some noodle bars the recipes have been passed down for generations.

The Japanese noodle bars are very small seen with European eyes. Some of them can only accommodate 15 guests. In Japan, it takes no more than 5 minutes to cook a bowl of smoking hot soup. For most Japanese eating a bowl of noodle soup takes no more than 10 minutes.

During one day a noodle bar can reach many guests.

Read more about the Noodle soup course 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.

At what temperature should you eat sushi?

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Sushi is a very unique dish that should be eaten at a certain temperature.

There are many people who buy take-away sushi at the moment. There are some things to do if you have decided to eat sushi one night.

Once you have picked up or your sushi has been delivered, you should store the food in your fridge. You must keep the food there until 15 minutes before you are going to eat. Sushi should and tastes best at room temperature.

What you do 15 minutes before eating is that you take the food out of the fridge. You take the lid off and place the food on the kitchen tables (in the shade) and leave it for 15 minutes.

In meantime you can set the table.

On my Sushi course for beginners (max. 9 participants) you will learn step by step how to make tasty sushi which is the perfect summer food with a glass of bubbles.

Read more about the Sushi course 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.

Is there any difference between Japanese sushi rice?

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Japanese sushi rice is not just rice. There is a big difference between the quality and the different types of sushi rice. The variation in Japanese sushi rice is very large and like many other foods sushi rice are available in different grades such as cheap, middle class and expensive sushi rice.

The information on the packaging is sporadic and not always just informative.
Japanese sushi rice differs from sushi rice produced in other countries. In Denmark there is Japanese sushi rice that clumps more than others. You will notice this when the rice has been cooked and about to be mixed with winegar (salt and sugar).

That does not mean that something is wrong with the rice. It can be difficult to get rid of all the lumps especially if you are use to cook sushi rice.

At Sushi course for beginners you will learn how to cook sushi rice as in Japanese sushi restaurants.

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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.

Where is it best to buy fish for sushi?

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It is hard to say where it is best to buy fish for sushi. I will only buy fish at fishmongers in Copenhagen.

There are some basic things to look for in a fishmonger.

Fish for sushi should never be placed with other fish. Fish for sushi has a completely different quality than”ordinary” fish for cooking. To ensure that bacteria are not transferred between the 2 types of fish they must be kept separate.

Fish for sushi should be perfectly fresh. On the sushi course for beginners, I talk about what to look for if you want to make sure you leave the fishmonger with fresh fish.

Read more about the Sushi course 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.