cooking school

Can fish from the supermarket be used for sushi?

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The short answer is no, you should not use frozen fish from the supermarket for sushi. There are several good reasons for this.

  1. You don’t know the quality

    For sushi, the fish must be of the absolute highest quality, because it is eaten raw. When you buy a frozen pack of fish at the supermarket, you cannot tell what quality the fish had before it was frozen.
  2. You don’t know where the fish was caught

    The marine environment has a major impact on the quality of the fish. Polluted waters can affect both taste and safety. On most frozen packages, it is not clearly stated under what conditions the fish was caught or lived.
  3. You don’t know when the fish was caught

    When making sushi, freshness is crucial. But on frozen packages, you rarely see the catch date – only an expiration date. That means you lose important information about the fish’s freshness.

Making sushi requires the right ingredients especially when it comes to fish. It can be difficult to assess on your own which fish are fresh enough, where they come from, and whether they are suitable for sushi.

That’s why we recommend learning it in a course, where you gain both knowledge and practical skills.

In our Sushi course for beginners, you’ll learn, among other things, how to choose the right fish and how to safely make delicious sushi at home.

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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.

If a fish is caught in the sea near you can it be used for sushi?

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No, not necessarily even if it is freshly caught.

First of all, fish for sushi has a very special quality. You can not necessarily see that quality with your eyes. There are usually experts who have the knowledge and experience to be able to see that.

Also it is difficult to tell where the fish is coming from.

There are some fish that swim several kilometers a day. There are also fish that stay in the local area throughout their lives. There are areas in the world where fish are of better quality than elsewhere. Unfortunately, it also requires that you have an in-depth knowledge of it.

About Sushi course for beginners I talk more, how to make sure you get bought of a quality so that it is suitable to be used for sushi.

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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 sushi should I choose the first time?

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Sushi Chef & Sake Sommelier

I still remember it vividly, the year was 1994, and I was sitting in front of sushi for the very first time.
Back then, sushi was something completely new and exotic, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

The taste, the texture and especially the idea of eating seaweed, it was all a challenge.
Sushi isn’t prepared like other dishes, and that first bite was truly different. Soft, fresh, but unfamiliar.

I started out cautiously:

  • The small rolls with cucumber or salmon felt safe, because I already knew the ingredients.
  • And when I wanted to avoid seaweed entirely, I went for a salmon nigiri, just rice and salmon. Simple and clean.

It turned out to be a great experience, and I quickly discovered that sushi wasn’t nearly as “scary” as I had first imagined.

If you’re also new to the world of sushi, I highly recommend starting slow with ingredients you already know.
Once you develop a taste for it, you can gradually explore more adventurous varieties.

And if you want to turn it into a truly special experience, I warmly recommend my beginner’s sushi course.
You’ll work with top-quality ingredients and learn the Japanese techniques that transform simple elements into unforgettable flavors.

Read more about Sushi class 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.

How fresh can seafood be?

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Seafood can be so fresh that it is still at body temperature when eaten.

Japan is a country surrounded by sea. Fresh fish and rice have been the most important raw materials in Japanese cuisine for centuries.

Japanese food culture is still based on raw materials being as fresh as possible. There are several reasons for this.

The Japanese population has grown up with shellfish being no more than a day old before it is cooked into tasty dishes. This applies to both fish bought from a fishmonger or in a supermarket.

Japanese cuisine has several iconic dishes where fish and shellfish are eaten raw, such as sushi.

The Japanese have the opportunity to buy raw materials that are either caught or harvested the same day.

The Japanese are very focused on eating healthy and fresh ingredients of the highest quality. It gives joy in life, but also healthy health. It is no coincidence that the Japanese are the population in the world that live the longest.

On the Sushi Course for Beginners, you learn to make tasty sushi step by step with a focus on how to get the most value without compromising on quality.

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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 best to drink to sushi?

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What is best to drink for sushi depends on where in the world you are.

Denmark is a country where wonderful wines are enjoyed all year round. Wines that go well with heavier dishes with meat or fish and seafood dishes that is lighter.

On a warm summer evening, I would suggest that you drink cold white wine that goes well with seafood. There are several different white wines and, I would recommend that you look past a wine merchant, they will be able to make the perfect match.

Champagne is also a very delicious wine to drink for sushi. The fine bubbles go really well with sushi. In Denmark, bubbles are most often drunk at special events. White wine and/or champagne are good choices for sushi.

In Japan, sushi restaurants most often serve cold beer for sushi. At the exclusive restaurants such as Michelin restaurants, you as a guest are offered sake. Sake is not just sake. Of course, it is important to sake wine that goes well with sushi.

When it comes to sushi, the selection of drinks is huge.

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.

Japanese noodle soup is your shortcut to a healthy meal on a busy day!

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In most streets of Tokyo is a small noodle soup bar. A bar where there is typically only room for 10-15 diners at a time. It does not sound like much. The small noodle bars are very busy. They serve the Japanese favorite food, which suits a busy everyday life.

It takes approx. 2 seconds to pull a food ticket in the vending machine. It takes less than 5 minutes before a bowl of steaming hot noodle soup is on the table. Japanese people are fast eaters and very experienced when it comes to the use of chopsticks. It takes them less than 5 minutes to eat a nutritious and healthy noodle soup. In the course of a day, the many noodle bars can manage to serve many guests.

Japanese noodle soup is a low-fat and healthy meal that is eaten year-round in Japan.

On the Japanese noodle soup course for beginners you will learn how to make tasty soups from scratch as they are served 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.

The reason Japanese cuisine considered quite unique?

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Gyoza
Japanese cuisine places great emphasis on using the fresh ingredients of the season, this applies to vegetables, fish and shellfish.

Many of the raw materials used in Japanese cuisine, such as fish, seaweed are vegetable are super foods that boost the body with healthy oils, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Japanese food is low in fat and sugar, making it a healthy choice.
This is one of the reasons why the Japanese are the population in the world that live the longest.

The healthy ingredients and raw materials such as miso, tofu, wasabi, seaweed and many others that are fundamental to Japanese cuisine are not used in the same way in other cuisines.

While many cuisines around the world make use of the fifth taste experience, umami, Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis and exploration of this flavor through the use of ingredients such as dashi, soy sauce and miso.

On the course Traditional Japanese food for beginners, you learn to make healthy and tasty dishes from the classic Japanese cuisine, which boosts your health.

PS: Sunday 24 September 2023 will be the last course in Traditional Japanese food for this year.

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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 are the benefits of eating Japanese food?

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Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë EscherThere are many benefits to eating Japanese food.

Japanese cooking is rich in vegetables, fish, shellfish and whole grains, which contribute to a healthy diet.

Traditional Japanese food generally contains less fat compared to many European dishes and, this helps to maintain a healthy body weight.

Many Japanese dishes are prepared as little as possible, such as steaming, boiling or grilling, which preserves the nutrients in the food.

Japanese food, especially vegetables such as sweet potatoes, spinach, cabbage and seaweed, are often rich in antioxidants.

The Japanese food culture offers a wide range of ingredients and raw materials provide a healthy variety in the diet.

Traditional Japanese diet usually contains less red meat and more seafood.

In the Traditional Japanese Cooking Course for Beginners, you will learn step by step how to make tasty classic Japanese dishes from scratch.

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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.

Did you know that barbecue is eaten all year in Japan?

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5 Japanese yakitori for one
In Japan, there are several types of barbecue dishes, which are eaten all year.
Yakitori skewers, which most people have heard of are small grilled skewers with different kinds of meat, seafood and vegetables, the raw materials are marinated, prepared and cooked in a specific way, so that each skewer is a unique taste experience.

There is also another type of grilled dishes called Yakiniku.
These are restaurants that specialize in barbecue dishes where the guests cook the food themselves. Restaurants that are furnished in such a way that each party have their own grill.

In these restaurants, the menu consists of several different types of meat, seafood and vegetables cut into one centimeter thick slices.
Before the food is cooked on a hot grill, the party has the opportunity to season the raw materials with a little salt and other spices. After cooking the meat, seafood and vegetables they are eaten by dipping them in different kinds of tasty sauce.
Dining at a yakiniku restaurant often takes several hours, since you are not in a hurry and often sit and enjoy the food at your own pace.

Several people have asked me over the years how to make yakitori skewers.
I have written a mini e-book “5 Japanese yakitori skewers for one”. It is an e-book that explains step by step how to make tasty yakitori skewers using Japanese cooking techniques. Tasty barbecue skewers prepared with different kinds of meat and vegetables.

Read more about mini e-book: “5 Japanese yakitori skewers for one”.

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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.

Did you know that there is a right way to use soy sauce for sushi?

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White soya sauce plate with sushi
The correct way to use soy sauce for sushi is to consider soy sauce as a condiment. Soy sauce can be equated with salt and pepper, it is a way of flavoring the food.

Most people are aware that when you sprinkle too much salt and pepper on your food, you might find it difficult enjoy the food. It can be almost inedible. The same can apply with soy sauce.

It can be difficult to dose the amount of soy sauce when you dip a piece of sushi into the soy bowl. Some prefer to leave a piece of sushi in the soy sauce for a few seconds before eating it.
I can’t recommend doing that, especially if you’ve spent money on good quality sushi. It will be more difficult to taste the fish and the different vegetables. The soy sauce will cover the natural taste of sushi.

The best way to eat sushi is to dip the individual pieces of sushi quite lightly in the soy sauce. That way you can enjoy the taste of the individual pieces of sushi and get the most flavor for the money.

On the Sushi course for beginners you learn, step by step, how to make sushi with the most flavor possible.

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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.