Japan

How big is the selection of Japanese green tea?

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In Japan the selection of Japanese green tea is very large.
In Denmark there are more and more people who drinks Matcha tea. Matcha tea has gain a lot of attention due the health benefits you get from drinking the tea.

Japan produces annually approx. 85 tons of tea of which 99.9% is green tea. The most popular brands of green tea tea are Bancha, Genmaicha, Gyokuro, Hojicha, Kabusecha, Kukicha, Matcha Sencha and Shicha.

Within these types of green tea you can buy tea of different qualities in Japan which all have their own unique flavors and taste.

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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 was your impression when you first tasted sushi in Tokyo?

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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.

Which countries produce seaweed for sushi?

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There are several different countries that produce seaweed for sushi.
Growing seaweed on the seabed is done with the same care and dedication as organic strawberries are produced in Europe.

The countries that produce seaweed for sushi are China, Korea and Japan. I have tasted different types of seaweed for sushi from the 3 different countries and there is a great difference in appearance, consistency and taste. Some types of seaweed taste a lot of sea but others are more neutral in taste.

Personally, I am mostly for seaweed types that do not taste too much of sea and which are crisp in consistency.

At the Sushi course for beginners the attendances learn more about seaweed for 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.

When is it best to travel to Japan?

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You can travel to Japan at all times of the year.
The weather is more varied in Japan as you can experience both typhoons and rainy season. You should be aware that winter can be very cold while summers can be very hot with high humidity.
There are times of the year where it is more advantageous to travel to Japan.

Spring and fall are definitely the best times to travel to Japan. At that time, it is neither too hot nor too cold. It is also times when the weather is stable without the large variations and the temperature is about 20-22 degrees.

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.

Japanese food stalls at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo

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Japanese food stalls at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.
At Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo you will find some small food stalls in the side streets, worshiping small dishes on the outside grill. It is dishes consisting of seafood such as squid, oysters and scallops.

On the picture you can see a few oysters with sea urchins a delicate eat in Japan.

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.

Japanese night snack at its best!

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In 2014 I went to a concert at an English pub in Tokyo with my teacher’s son-in-law, son-in-law’s English teacher and his Japanese girlfriend.
It was the coolest concert with a Japanese / British band and while we drank cold beer on the very hot summer evening, it embedded with Europeans living in Tokyo. It was a pretty fun experience.

At about 11 p.m. we had to go back because the metrologists had announced that there would be a typhoon coming later in that evening. Before the son-in-law and I had to go home we would have a little night food on the road. It turned out to be the wonderful sashimi dinner we had served at 11.30 p.m.
We reached home before typhoon hit Tokyo the rain poured down at that time.

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.

Uni (Sea urchin) is one of my Japanese seafood favorites!

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The first time I encountered the delicious Uni was in Los Angeles in 2006. Toshi my executive sushi chef instructor served Uni to me like a piece of nigiri.
The velvet and delicate flavor melted in my mouth. I will never forget and have since then eaten it several times in both the US and Japan.

In Japan, the Japanese sushi restaurants buy Uni at the Tsukiji Fish Market. Here you will find a seller who is only specialized in Uni who sells it in many different qualities and price levels.

It is incredibly difficult to describe the taste of Uni as it is so unique in its taste and consistency. To get it served as a piece of sushi nigiri will not be the last time for me.

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.

What has been your greatest experience on your trips to Japan?

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I have had many unique and exciting experiences in Japan and there have been 2 trips that have been the same.

My travels to Japan do not really look like vacation  as they have always had a professional content.

I have found a picture from 2004.
In the picture I am with the Japanese national team coach of the Japanese women’s team. I am pretty tired because we have been training tournaments at Tokai University. It is auniversity where the most talented kendo players among Japanese students go.
It is also here the Olympic champions in Judo coach.

It’s one of many experiences that I will never forget.

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.

Where does the Japanese eat in Tokyo?

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TokyoTokyo is the city of the world with the most Michelin star restaurants and that is not by accident. The Japanese are very critical when comes to where to dine and they place very high stanards when it comes to quality of the food and the price.

Basically, it is always best to eat at restaurants where the locals come and it is also true when it comes to Japan. Typically the quality of the restaurants where the Japanese eat in Tokyo is higher than where tourists eat.

In some of the very touristy areas in Tokyo and Kyoto the price is higher than elsewhere while the quality of the food is slightly lower.

You must keep that in mind if you are going to visit Japan.

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.

Gem

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.