Gyoza in Japan – A well-preserved and secret delicacy


In Japan, dumplings also called gyoza is not just a delicious snack or a festive dish. It is an everyday delicacy found on the table in countless homes and restaurants.

For many Japanese, gyoza is a regular part of their diet and it is not uncommon to enjoy this delicacy several times a week. Gyoza is served in different forms, from the classic minced pork version to vegetarian and seafood variants.

In Japan, gyoza has also found its way into take-away boxes. In Japan, you can find gyoza at street kitchens, in convenience stores, and even in prepackaged form in supermarkets. This makes it easy for people to enjoy this delicious dish on a busy day.

Gyoza is not only limited to being served in restaurants. Many Japanese also make their own homemade gyoza with family and friends.

Gyoza is a classic dish in Japanese cuisine and is often eaten as part of the daily diet. Its versatility, deliciousness and social nature make it a beloved part of Japanese food culture that continues to excite palates both in Japan and around the world.

In the Traditional Japanese Cooking Class for Beginners, you will learn step by step how to make gyoza as they are served in restaurants.

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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.

NEWS – Ebook: 5 Japanese okonomiyaki for one

5 Japanese okonomiyaki for one
Okonomiyaki is an authentic Japanese pancake that combines flavorful ingredients and a fantastic texture. The name means “fried the way you want it”, and that’s exactly what this dish is all about – adapting it to your personal preferences and taste buds.

Okonomiyaki is made with a base of shredded cabbage and other ingredients. Then you can add a multitude of ingredients such as seafood, meat, vegetables.
Once the pancake has been fried on both sides, it can be topped with a layer of Japanese sauce, mayonnaise and other tasty ingredients.

Okonomiyaki a dish not to be missed. It is an exciting and tasty dish form Japanese cuisine that combines tradition with creativity.

Explore the Mini eBook: 5 Japanese Okonomiyaki for One, which features 5 different variations of this popular dish.

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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.

That is why seaweed is a regular ingredient in Japanese cuisine!

Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher
In Japan, seaweed has always been part of Japanese cuisine. It is a staple food like grains in European cuisine.
Just like in Europe, there is not just one type of grains. There are many types of grains and some of them are better suited for pasta than bread.

The same applies to seaweed. In Europe, most people have opened their eyes to sushi seaweed, which is a booster when it comes to the amount of vitamins and minerals.

Seaweed has its origins in the Japanese cuisine of the poor. At that time, it was Japanese fishermen who collected the seaweed for use in cooking. The fishermen had no refrigerator, so to extend shelf life the seaweed was dried. Afterwards it was eaten with raw fish and rice.

In Japan, there are many different types of seaweed, which are used in many different dishes in Japanese cuisine. Nori is used for sushi, which is a specific type of seaweed that is primarily used for sushi.

On the Sushi Course for Beginners you will learn which type of sushi nori is best suited for sushi. You will also learn step by step how to make tasty sushi.

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.

That is why the most popular Japanese fast food is healthy!

Noodle soup
Yes, it is true. The most popular fast food in Japan is very healthy. It is a dish that suits the busy everyday life which consists of long working days, family and free time.

On their way home from work, the Japanese like to visits one of the many Japanese noodle soup bars, which are located in almost every street.
A Japanese noodle soup that does not take many minutes to eat embraces the entire food pyramid. The soup base is made from scratch and noodles, meat and vegetables are then added. There is not just one noodle soup on the menu, most noodle soup bars specialize in making several different soups.

Often it will be recipes that have been passed down for generations. Other eateries have chosen to develop their own recipes. What characterizes a classic Japanese noodle soup is that local vegetables are used.

On the Japanese noodle soup course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make 2 very different tasty Japanese noodle soups from scratch.

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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.

In what way does Japanese cuisine differ from the rest of the world?

Okinawa Miso Soup - Super Food
Japanese cuisine is quite unique in several different ways.
It is almost tailored to those who are interested in health and what is good for the body without compromising on taste. Japanese cuisine is put together in such a way that it either detoxifies or nourishes the body.

Yep, that is true. The Japanese are very conscious about what they eat. This is one of the main reasons why the Japanese are the people in the world who live the longest.

Going all-in and eating like the Japanese is hard.
The Japanese have a completely different view of diet and, their diet pyramid looks very different. A classic Japanese meal often consists of 10-12 small dishes. Dishes that contain fish, meat, vegetables and soybeans prepared in several different ways.

The Japanese are good at boosting health in small ways. Here I also think about what they drink during the day.

Miso or fermented soybeans are a regular part of Japanese cuisine. It is a raw material that is not to be missed. It is super food that in the right contexts boosts health. I know that most people live a busy life, but at the same time have a desire to live a healthy life.

For them, I have put together a 14-day course where you boost your health with healthy and nutritious soups. It is a process that matches a busy everyday life.

Read more about 14-day Okinawa miso soup – super food

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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.

Boost your health with 14 days of Okinawa miso soup – Super food!

Okinawa Miso Soup - Super Food
Spring is here and just in a little while summer is waiting around the corner.

Like most others, I need to boost my health with sun light and healthy food.
It looks like spring is here to stay with days filled with blue cloudless sky with warm rays of the sun.

Like my home, it’s time for a spring clean.
After a long winter, my body gets an extra boost of nourishing and healthy vitamins. There I always turn to Japanese cuisine.

Basically, Japanese cuisine is composed in a way that either detoxifies or nourishes the body. Japanese cuisine is divided in such a way that some restaurants make dishes that are adapted to a busy everyday life, while other restaurants offer dinners that can be enjoyed over several hours on the weekend.

Especially on busy weekdays, the body may need an extra loving boost.
That is why I have made a 14-day course where you can give the body renewed energy with quite a few raw materials.
It is a course that you will receive by email and download to your computer.

Read more about 14 day Okinawa miso soup – Super food

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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 stock is used for noodle soups in Japan?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
In Japan, many different kinds of stock are used for noodle soups.
The most popular are fish, pork and chicken. In Tokyo, restaurants and dinning places often make stock from scratch. Some stock takes many hours to make as Japanese ingredients are added at different stages in the preparation of the stock. The Japanese ingredients add to the stock gives the unique taste and aromas that characterize Japanese soups in Japan.

They are a little different what the Japanese families do.
Not all families have time for a busy day to make a stock. In Tokyo, supermarkets sell different types of stock. Some funds need to be dissolved in boiling water, while others are available by the glass.

Just like in Denmark, stocks can be bought in powder form or, as ready-made in a supermarket, but it can never replace a stock that is made from scratch. A stock made from scratch has a completely different taste and aromas that are not available in the powder version.

In the Noodle Soup course for beginners, you will learn how to make classic Japanese dashi stock, which forms the entire stock of Japanese cuisine a stock that is made in the same way as in the restaurants 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.

That’s why Shiitake is the favorite mushroom in Japanese cuisine!


Shiitake mushrooms are quite unique, as it is a mushroom that has several aromas and depth in the taste.

Shiitake is a mushroom that is very intense in taste. Shiitake mushrooms have a hard stem. It is a strain that is often removed in the preparation of a dish, as it can be hard to chew on.
Exactly the stem should always be kept. The stem of Shiitake mushrooms has a very concentrated and aromatic taste, which gives the dish depth.

In Japan, Shiitake mushroom is used in many different ways. It ranges from fried noodles to stews that simmer for several hours. The possibilities are endless.

Shiitake is now available year-round in many supermarkets. However, there may be periods when it can be difficult to get hold of the fungus.

Read more about Traditional Japanese food 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.

How many different kinds of gyoza are there in Japan?

Gyoza
When you visit restaurants in Japan, there is one kind of gyoza on the menu.
Yep, it’s good enough. In the classic Japanese cuisine of Japan, there is only one traditional Japanese gyoza.

You can easily find other restaurants in Tokyo that have several different dumplings on the menu. It will often be Chinese restaurants.
That does not mean it is bad. There are exceptional dumplings restaurants in Tokyo, some of the best restaurants are Chinese.

In Japan, gyoza is often eaten as a snack or an appetizer with a glass of beer.

In Tokyo you will find gyoza restaurants that specialize in making gyoza of different qualities. They only have gyoza on the menu. These are restaurants that many Japanese visits on their way home from work.

In the Traditional Japanese food course for beginners, you will learn step by step how to make the classic delicious Japanese gyoza.

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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 soy sauce is used in classic Japanese dishes?


In traditional Japanese cuisine, not only soy sauce is used for Japanese dishes.

In Japan, soy sauce is considered a spice; it is a way to season the food. There are as many different soy sauces in a Japanese supermarket as cheese in a Danish supermarket.
Therefore, it does not matter which soy sauce is used for which dishes.

Most people eat sushi to a greater or lesser extent.
If you use a completely classic soy sauce or one soy sauce which is not suitable for e.g. sushi, it will ruin approx. 40% of the taste experience. That’s a lot.

Therefore, the choice of soy sauce plays an equally important role as the choice of fish for sushi. It’s like night and day.

In the Traditional Japanese food course for beginners, you will get to know several different types of soy sauce. You also learn that dossiers and add the different dishes, the right amount of soy sauce. So that the dishes get, the unique flavors and aromas that characterize the dishes that are 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.