How often do you develop new dishes?

Like many other chefs I also continually develop new dishes.

Where I get inspiration is very different. It may be the season or a specific raw material that goes on and will inspire a new right.

Very basic when I develop new dishes they must be delicious, tasty and a bliss for the eyes. But I do also have my own Japanese sushi style.

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.

What was your impression when you first tasted sushi in Tokyo?

In 2004, I traveled to Tokyo for the first time on a training session. My Japanese kendo teacher Hirakawa sensei had arranged that I was going to practise in Tokyo’s best kendo club.

As it was my first trip to Japan, I was told that I was going to take the bus from Narita Airport to the Sunshine Hotel in Tokyo where I would be picked up by 2 members from the Kendo Club Yushinkan Dojo.

When I arrived at the hotel we walked directly into the hotel to have lunch at one of the hotel’s many restaurants. In the restaurant I was served sushi and it was my first meeting with Japanese sushi.
I clearly remember the experience. The quality was different and the sushi pieces tasted more fish than what I had experienced in Denmark.
I was also surprised at how many different kind of seafood are used for sushi.

That it would later go to be my way of life I did not really think so at that time.

You can read more about 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.

How much soy does the Japanese eat?

A lot. The Japanese eat most soy in the world.

Most people think of tofu which many associate with vegan food in Denmark. Tofu is far from the only soy product that the Japanese eat.

The Japanese eat a lot of miso which is part of many different contexts in Japanese cuisine. In Japan, soy sauce is considered a spice on the same level as salt and pepper in European food.

In Denmark most people know that soy sauce is used in sushi, but also in other classic dishes such as noodle soups, yakitori, tempura, sukiyaki and smoothies. It is a healthy and slimming access to proteins.

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.

Which sushi mat is best for making sushi?

In a month I teach several sushi beginner classes in Copenhagen.
At the courses I meet attendances who bring different types of sushi mat to make aromatic and tasty sushi rolls.

Unfortunately, not all sushi mats are suitable for sushi.

In recent years, I have met attendances who have brought a sushi mat made of silicone. Silicone mat is totally unsuitable for sushi. It does not have the size or flexibility which is requires to make delicious sushi rolls. The material means that you do not have the optimal conditions.

There is also another type of sushi mat that I would not recommend either. The sushi mat is made of wood but the shape of the mat makes it harder to make sushi rolls. The sushi mat also leaves marks in the rolls.

The bamboo mat that Japanese sushi chefs and I use are very hard to get in Denmark. This is because those who sell bamboo mats for to sushi are not skilled sushi chefs.

Read more about Sushi chef & Sake sommlier 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.

Japanese noodle soup lures on a busy winter day

When I get home late in the afternoon it’s not always that I just have time to spend a couple of hours of cooking a tasty meal.

An evening meal that I eat on a daily basis must be a easy to cook while it is still healthy, nutritious and tasty.
On my many trips to Japan I noticed that Japanese noodle soup fits perfectly with the busy life. I prefer to eat a tasty Japanese noodle soup that is made on a unique and special fishery stock. It is stock that is foundation of Japanese cuisine.

From I am entering the door in myhome it takes max. 15 minutes to prepare a bowl of steamy hot noodle soup.

On Japanese noodle soup course for beginners you learn to make 2 very different Japanese noodle soups as they areserved in Japan.

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Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes forA. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, GorrissenFederspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Japanese green tea

One of the guys from Yushinkan dojo in Tokyo has a tea shop.
In 2004 when I visited Tokyo for the first time I practised kendo with Sato.

Just before I left Tokyo in July this year I visited his tea shop. He offered several tastes and I ended up buying tea in abundant quantities.

I am so happy to follow his advice about what kind of green tea types I should buy. I bought several different really good quality and this one is so nice in taste. Below you can finde a few more pictures.




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.

What is the difference between European and Japanese nigiri?

There is a big difference between European and Japanese nigiri. This is because there is a big difference between the education that European and Japanese sushi chefs go through.

In Japan, Japanese sushi chefs have been working as a sushi chef for 60 years and uses techniques that take 40 years to master. I am talking techniques you use to boiling rice, cutting fish and making sushi.

The selection of seafood used for sushi is very large in Japan. Often you will find 20 different species on the menu. It is one of the reasons why it takes longer to become a sushi chef in Japan. As a chef you must have a great knowledge of many different types of fish.

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.

Sushi can be a welcome break during the Christmas months

I like Christmas confectionery, pastry, chocolate, pepper nuts, Christmas lunches and Christmas food. However, I think that sometime in my mind tends to go above and beyond what I usually eat for the rest of the year.

In order to not only get into chocolate and homemade vanilla pastry which is quite nice to make and taste delicious. I also make sure to eat sushi. So after all, I get some low fat food that offsets some of the fatness.
Especially November and December I make sushi more than the rest of the year.

On the upcoming Sushi course for beginners attendants learn to make the most sought after sushi rolls with a selection of the most popular ingredients. As we are so close to New Year we also talk which fish is best suited for sushi at that time.

Of course you also learn to cook sushi rice, prepare raw materials and cut fish. Yes, you can get all the information on Sushi course for beginners right here

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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.

What characterizes a Japanese teriyaki sauce?

A lot of people know about the classic Teriyaki sauce that is produced by Kikkomann which can be found in most supermarkets in Europe.

The sauce sold in supermarkets has nothing to do with the authentic Japanese Teriyaki sauce. It’s a very sad version of the authentic Japanese Teriyaki sauce. I think that’s a lot of pity.

The authentic Japanese Teriyaki sauce is made from scratch and has a tasty and a unique flavor. To make the sauce you have to use Japanese ingredients. The way the ingredients are combined and cooked makes the finished Teriyaki sauce taste amazing. The sauce taste so good that most people eat it with a spoon.

On the course Traditional Japanese cooking class for beginners you will  learn how to make an authentic Japanese Teriyaki sauce from the scratch. You will also learn why the Japanese version is so popular in Japan.

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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.

What time of day is it best to visit Tsukiji fish market?

The world’s largest Tsukiji fish market is located in Tokyo. It is a fish market where seafood is sold each day to the rest of the world.
Every morning there are sold large quantities of tuna on the fishing operation tuna which is categorized in different quality so to be sold to restaurants in Japan or sent abroad.

The fishing auction is being held very early in the morning. Tourists are not allowed in those hours. The many tourists seem to be disturbing and it affects the fishing action in a negative way.

The best time to visit the fish market is at 8.00-9.00 am in the morning. You may come later but many retailers begin to shut down.

Rad 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.