Hollywood

Japanese gastronomy and Japanese kendo in Brussels

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This Friday I traveled to Brussels to spend some days in the company of my Japanese kendo teacher and kendo friends from Europe and from Japan. Japanese Kendo and Japanese sushi share the same Japanese philosophy and approach to becoming proficient in you line of work.

I spend the day with a long talk about Japanese gastronomy in Japan, Europe and Scandinavia. I matched my teacher Nobuo Hirakawa’s teaching both Friday and Saturday. I had eaten Japanese lunch also called a bento box.

Last but not least, I got some new relationships in Europe and Japan. Below you will find a couple of pictures from the weekend.
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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 do Japanese chefs improve know their professional knowledge?

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In Japan, your training will never stop. Most Japanese use their entire lives to get better at their work.

I travel to Japan approx. once a year to develop my skills and to expand my horizons.

I do alo travel to Brussels once a year in December to meet with my Japanese kendo teacher who is headed by a Japanese delegation of 12 highly graduated teachers.

I have been following his training since 2001 and there is still a lot he can teach me. What I learn in Kendo can lalso be used in my work as a Japanese sushi chef. This is because the martial arts kendo and Japanese sushi coccans share the same philosophy.

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.

How many vegetables do the Japanese eat during a day?

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The Japanese are a population who eats a lot of different vegetables in one day.

Seaweed is the vegetable in the world that contains the most vitamins and minerals. It is a vegetable that is part of most Japanese meals. In addition, the Japanese also eat a couple of dishes where meat and fish are not part of the court. Instead, the dishes are composed of many different vegetables as well as vegetable proteins.

I travel to Tokyo almost every year and have been doing it since 2004 and it is a nice opportunity to see my Japanese friends as well. During my stay, we are often out to experience Tokyo and of course visit different restaurants.

When looking at what they order to eat during a day, 2/3 of the food consists of vegetables prepared in several different ways. In Japan, the range of vegetable proteins is large and varied. This is due to the fact that the Japanese are the population in the world who receive a large proportion of their protein needs from sources other than animal products.

Read more about Japanese cooking class 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.

What is Japanese chef’s view of the raw materials used in Japanese cuisine?

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The Japanese have a different approach to life than the rest of the world. The Japanese population has grown up with the fact that everything the universe has created has a soul and that we are all connected.

This view of life affects the Japanese chef’s view of the raw materials used in Japanese cuisine. All life that the universe has created is unique and has something to offer. This means that Japanese cuisine is very large and varied, as the Japanese are not limited.

Since 2004 I have traveled to Japan almost every year.
Here 2 years ago I found out that over the years I have eaten raw jellyfish without knowing it. Now the jellyfish is not served as a big undefined lump on the plate. It will of course be prepared so it is a delicious dish you get served.
In my case it was served as a Starter and it looked the most noodles but the consistency was another. It did not taste so much but was completely crispy to chew in.

So why eat jellyfish?

Jellyfish contains many proteins and has a very low fat content.

This unique way of transforming raw materials that many wanted to bite into a delicious dinner obviously brings attention to Michelin chefs around the world.

NOTE: Of course jellyfish will not be served on my cooking courses.

Read about my Sushi classes and traditional Japanese cooking classes

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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.

Therefore, Tokyo is the city in the world that has the most Michelin restaurants

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Tokyo is famous for high quality of restaurants. Tokyo is the city in the world that has the most Michelin stars.
With approx. 20 million citizens who appreciate high quality food the competition between the restaurants is very high.

The Japanese cuisine also offers many different styles. The Japanese cuisine contains as many styles as all European cuisine. There is a style for the busy family, career woman / husband, family taking a day off, family gathering, for vegetarians, business people and many more.

At the moment many Danish and international Michelin chefs travel to Japan to be inspired by Japanese restaurants. Japanese chef’s way of looking at raw materials, compiling a menu and using different cooking techniques has a vigilant eye all over the world.

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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.

The reason why sushi rolls have become a popular dish in Denmark

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I do not think I know any other country where you eat so many sushi rolls as in Denmark. It is not negative meant.

One of the reasons might be that the Danish people do not eat as much fish as the Japanese do in Tokyo.
The selection of rolls is also very large in Denmark. Most sushi restaurants in Denmark have a large selection of sushi rolls on the menu which offers different flavors. Some restaurants have their own signature scroll.

By eating sushi rolls you will also be eating different kinds of vegetable which support your wellbeing.

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.

The reason why Japanese cuisine has become so popular in Europe

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There is still some people who believe that sushi is the dish that the Japanese eat the most in Tokyo.
The Japanese are flove sushi but sushi accounts for less than 15% of Japanese cuisine.

Japanese cuisine differs from other kitchens.
The Japanese cuisine consists of many different styles, such as noodle soups, stews, vegetarian dishes, dishes where fish or meat is cooked.

Common to all the dishes is that you use different raw materials in the Japanese kitchen which either detox the body or provide the body with nutrition.
A Japanese dinner will often consist of many small dishes that embrace the entire cost pyramid.

On the course Traditional Japanese cooking class for beginners the attendance learn how to cook tasty and healthy dishes by using different Japanese cooking techniques in the preparation of the 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.

Japanese architecture in Tokyo

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Tokyo is a city full of contrasts.
There is the “old” Japan, which offers small houses located in small streets with many small specialty stores. Looking down a street the small houses will be very different in their design, size and color. The small cozy streets are typically found a bit away from the major main streets.
Modern Japan offers many architectural experiences.
The exclusive European fashion houses will design buildings that differ in size. Arts and culture have also moved into several of the beautiful architectural styles found in the more exclusive areas of Tokyo.

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 your experience as a sushi chef with vegetarian sushi?

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The vegetarian sushi tastes amazing.
I regularly make delicious and tasty vegetarian sushi that can make a bird sing.

Vegetarian sushi is something else. You use different kind of raw materials, flavors and aroma that apply when you work with vegetarian sushi. This means that vegetarian sushi is more challenging to make.

Different cooking techniques must be used in the preparation of raw materials for sushi but also when making aromatic sushi pieces.
If you are careful in the preparation of sushi you will find that your sushi meal tastes better than sushi with fish.

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 Japanese chefs view of food waste?

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Japanese chefs have a different view of raw materials.

Basically, nothing is thrown out. Everything, according to Japanese chefs can be tasty snacks or dishes by using different Japanese cooking techniques.

Some years ago I visited the exclusive Sushi Restaurant, named Kyubey, located in Ginza in Tokyo. I ordered a sushi menu consisting of a miso soup, a small starter, the chef’s selection of nigiri and a cup of green tea for dessert.

During the dinner I was served a large living shrimp that was made for the most delicious nigiri. Yes, the sushi chef broke the head of the shrimp, removed the intestine and made it to nigiri.
The tail itself and the head were not thrown out. It was cooked in the kitchen and a little later I was served the tail like a delicious and crunchy chip.

You can read more about the course 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.