Sushi class for beginners

sushi
This course is made for anyone who wants to learn the art of making sushi from scratch.
Regardless of whether you are a beginner or have some experience, Denmark’s most experienced Japanese trained sushi chef Zoë Escher will guide you step by step through the process of preparing delicious and authentic sushi.

You learn how to boil the perfect sushi rice.
You learn about the Japanese ingredients used for sushi.
You learn about what you should be aware of when buying fish from the fishmonger.
You learn to prepare different kinds of raw materials for sushi.
You learn to make several different kinds of tasty sushi rolls.

Please read more about the cooking class  Sushi 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.

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What raw materials do Japanese sushi chefs prefer to use for sushi?

In Tokyo, the Japanese have a slightly different approach to sushi.

Most Japanese prefer to eat nigiri rather than sushi rolls.

If you are dining at a sushi restaurant in Tokyo the rolls will often contain something different from what we know about in Europe. In Japan, it is very normal to serve a hosomaki (small roll) to end a sushi meal.

It may contain pickled plum or tuna.

When it comes to sushi there is nothing right or wrong. Most restaurants have their own style. When it comes to raw materials Japanese sushi chefs in Tokyo and I are in favor of using local produce that is in season.

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.

What seafood is best suited for sushi?

Sushi chef Zoë EscherIn Denmark only a few seafood is available for sushi. You often find tiger prawns on the menu which is quite a shame for many miss the unique flavors from other seafood.
In Japan different types of squid is used and served in different ways. Sea urchins are extremely popular in Japanese sushi restaurants and have a delightful taste.

In addition, the Japanese have a large selection of shrimps found only in the East part of the world. Shrimp has a size, taste and character that you unfortunately cannot get in Denmark.
In Denmark, we have many beautiful and not so exotic commodities that are perfect for sushi like lumpfish roe, scallops and smoked eel.

Read more about advanced sushi course

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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.

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What is the first thing Japanese people notice when they eat sushi?


When a Japanese person orders sushi, they use other criteria to evaluate the food.

When it comes to sushi the Japanese’s favorite food is nigiri. The selection of fish in Japan is very large and it is very normal that you find 15 to 20 different fish on the menu.

What a Japanese person primarily looks for when eating sushi is whether the rice is cooked to perfection. The consistency of sushi rice should be soft but also firm. It should not be like porridge, but the rice grain should not be hard or raw inside either. It is a balance that is difficult to get.

If the rice is not cooked to perfection, I will affect the dining experience.  This is because quite a few ingredients are used for sushi. You use the best fish in the world, but if the rice is cooked to perfection the dining experience will fall apart.

In the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step-by-step how to cook sushi in a quality that is suitable for use in 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.

Why is it harder to cook sushi rice?

When I make authentic Japanese sushi I will cook the rice as it is made and served in Tokyo, then rice plays a very important role.

It does so because in Japan, the consistency of the cooked rice is as important as the quality of the fish used for sushi.

If you use fish of poor quality then your sushi will not taste very good. This applies also to sushi rice.

The cooked sushi rice must be at least of the same quality as the fish. They should be firm but soft. They should not be like porridge but they should not be raw inside either. It can be a difficult balance to hit.

In the sushi course for beginners, you will learn how to cook sushi rice as they are cooked in restaurants in Tokyo.

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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?

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.

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Is there a difference between soy sauce?

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?

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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Is there any difference between Japanese sushi rice?

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.

Do the Japanese eat a lot of salmon?

Japanese people eat many different kinds of seafood.

You can find salmon on the menu at many sushi restaurants in Japan. However, in recent years I noticed a change. In 2004 and until 2016, the Japanese did not eat much salmon.

In 2017 when I was in Tokyo, I could immediately see that the Japanese had changed their view of the salmon. Some of the very popular fish such as tuna are endangered species.

Instead, the Japanese are very interested in salmon. Today, the Japanese eat a lot of salmon.

I know that Japanese fishmongers travel around Scandinavia to take look at salmon. The salmon from Scandinavia is known for its high quality.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you will learn what to look for in order to buy top quality fish for the least amount of money.

Read more about the 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.