culinary school

Which chopsticks are best suited for sushi?

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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.

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

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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?

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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.

What kind of sushi is most popular outside of Japan?

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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?

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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?

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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.

Japanese comfort food that warms on a cold autumn day!

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The hot summer days are coming to an end and we are approaching autumn.
Autumn is a changeable time reminiscent of a bag of mixed sweets, sun, wind and rain and sometimes on the same day.

Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons.
Nature and forests show themselves from their most beautiful side. The forest abounds with mushrooms and just around the corner awaits the classic root vegetables.

In Japan, noodle soups are tasty and healthy dish are enjoyed all year round. It is a dish that is very popular when summer turns into autumn. It is a dish that warms on the changeable autumn days.

A classic Japanese noodle soup contains fish, meat, noodles, vegetables and seaweed in other words it is one of the healthiest fast foods on a busy day.

In the Noodle soup course for beginners, you will learn how to make tasty soups from scratch with Japanese noodles, soups that have the same unique aromas and flavors as if served in restaurants 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.

How long can soy sauce last?

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Soy sauce is fermented soybeans.

In Japan, there are as many different types of soy sauce as there is cheese in a Danish supermarket.
Yep, that’s true.

There are different types of soy sauces for the many styles in Japanese cuisine. For sushi, a specific Japanese soy sauce is used, a soy sauce that is not used for Japanese noodle soups.

Of course, all bottles have a recommended expiration date for when soy sauce expires. Soy sauce is fermented soy beans, which has a very long shelf life. Soy sauce can of course last after the expiration date. You can always taste it if in doubt.

I store soy sauce outside the fridge too even though the bottle is open, I have always done that. So do Japanese sushi restaurants in Tokyo.

In the Sushi course for beginners, I talk more about which soy sauce is best suited 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.

How long does it take to become a sushi chef in Japan?

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Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
In Japan, it takes several years to be trained as a Japanese sushi chef. There are several reasons why

In Japan, there is a slightly different approach to taking an education. In Japan, you are never really finish your education. This means that the better you become at your skills, the more difficult are the techniques used as well.
It is very normal that it takes 10, 20 or 30 years to master sushi techniques at restaurant level.

The quality of sushi in Japan is something completely different than in Europe.
In Japan, the level of Japanese sushi restaurants is very high. The higher the level in the Japanese restaurants, the longer it takes to become good at mastering the various cooking techniques.
It is very normal that it takes several years to learn how to cook sushi rice to perfection. The Japanese customers only want to eat sushi which is made with rice which is perfect in consistency.

In Japan, the sushi restaurant follows the season for fish. There are typically 10-15 different fish on the menu.
As a sushi chef, you need to know how to handle the different fish species and be able to turn them into delicate and tasty sushi pieces.

Read more about Sushi Chef Zoë Escher & 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 fish most often ends up on the dinner table in Denmark?

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Salmon is the most sought after fish in Denmark. It is a tasty fatty fish that is rich in omega 3.
More and more countries in Scandinavia have for many years farmed salmon. It is relatively new that Iceland has started selling salmon off the island. It is a salmon that has grown up in an environment similar to nature, where wild salmon usually live. This means that the salmon has the same quality as wild salmon.

The Faroe Islands breed the world’s best salmon. It is a fish that is farmed in the sea. A salmon that is raised under the best possible conditions while the fish get special feed that is good for the fish. The Faroe Islands are known for their quality salmon, which now lands in Denmark every single day.

Norway also breeds several types of salmon in different qualities, which can also be bought in Denmark.

On the Sushi course for beginners, of course, the world’s best salmon is used, so that the participants learn how to make delicate and tasty sushi of high 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.