make your own sushi

How many different kinds of tuna cuts are there?

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There are several tuna cuts.

An adult tuna weighs 225-250 kilos. Just like on other animals, the quality of the meat is different depending on where on the animal it sits.

Tuna meat from the stomach is called toro. It is fatter than meat from other places on the animal. In Japan, toro is an exclusive and expensive piece, which is full of flavor and umami. The meat is pink in color it is a piece used to make nigiri sushi.

Along the backbone of the tuna sits lean tuna, which is called Akama. The flesh is very red in color and the taste is similar to beef. In Japan, it is used for both nigiri and sashimi.

Then of course there are many other cuts where the fat content and taste are different. No two tuna are alike, so the quality and taste will vary from fish to fish.

In Europe, the selection of tuna cuts is not that big. The fishmongers sell one type of tuna cut that is often suitable both for sushi and for a delicious steak to be on the grill.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you will learn more fish 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 many types of sushi are there?

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There are 5 different types of Japanese sushi.

Uramaki
Most people have encountered uramaki. It is a sushi roll which is available in one size. Sushi seaweed and the filling are inside the roll, while there is rice on the outside of the roll. In Japan, sushi restaurants sprinkle sesame seeds on the rice that covers the roll.

Maki
In Europe, maki is the most popular sushi rolls. In Europe you can order maki in 2 different sizes. Hosomaki is the smallest roll it is characterized by having filling in the roll. The sushi seaweed is on the outside of the sushi roll.

Futomaki is the big roll. It is a roll with several different kinds of ingredients, ranging from fish to different kinds of vegetables. To keep all the ingredients in place, sushi seaweed is wrapped tightly around the roll.

Temaki
In Europe, temaki is not so widespread. In Japan, there is a roll served in restaurants. It is a roll that looks like a cone with different kinds of fillings. Abroad, it goes by the name of hand rolls.

Sashimi
In Europe, sashimi is eaten to a lesser extent. It is fish without rice and vegetables. In Japan, sashimi is very common. It is at least as popular as the other types of sushi. In Japan, fish is cut in many different ways and the dish is served in several different ways.

Nigiri
Nigiri is fish with rice. In Japan, nigiri is very common. There are typically 20 different fish on the menu in Japanese sushi restaurants. There are many Japanese in Tokyo who choose to eat nigiri only when visiting a sushi restaurant. That way, they get to taste several different kinds of fish.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you learn that you can make tasty that can be served for everyday and occasions.

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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 meant by “clean cut” in Japanese gastronomy?

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Japanese cuisine differs from other cuisines in the world in that the food is very “clean”.
This applies from everyday food to fine dining.

In Japanese cuisine, the ingredients are prepared as little as possible.
To highlight the unique flavors and aromas of the ingredients, the way you use the knife is crucial to how tasty the dish ends up being.
This means that there are other requirements for the way you use your knife. In Japan, your knife can be used in many thousands of different ways; it is the raw materials in question that determine which technique to use.

The fewer raw materials used in a dish, the more important it is that knife techniques are used, made as “clean” as possible, i.e. do not make notches or marks in the raw materials in order to get the full benefit of the raw materials.

At Sushi course for beginners, you will be introduced to the most commonly used Japanese knife techniques.

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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 fish can be eaten raw?

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Basically, all fish can be eaten raw. However, there is a big BUT.

Not all types of fish are suitable for eating raw. There are several reasons for this.

  1. In some fish species, the structure of the fish meat is of a quality that makes them unsuitable for being eaten raw. It requires you to be a Japanese trained sushi chef to be able to see that.
  2. The place where fish has been caught plays an important factor. There are some places where the world’s oceans are having a hard time due to local pollution. Fish caught in those places should never be eaten raw.
  3. Fish sold at fish auctions is divided into quality grades. Everything that is eaten raw must be of the best quality to avoid getting sick. It requires you to be a Japanese trained sushi chef to be able to see that too.

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.

How is sushi seaweed produced?

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Sushi seaweed is produced in the sea.

In autumn, seaweed grower in small boats sails out to sea. Small seaweed plants are attached to the mesh and lowered just below sea level. Here the seaweed is allowed to grow at its own pace until spring. When the seaweed plants are approx. 20 cm long, they are ready to be harvested.

Small boat sails out to sea and the seaweed grower picks up the many mesh nets on board. The boats sail directly to the seaweed factory which is right next to the coast. Seaweed is filled in large plastic containers and poured directly into large containers that wash and clean the seaweed. Air is supplied to make the mass softer. The seaweed must go through several processes, where it is both cleaned and chopped into smaller pieces.

Once the tongs have been given the right consistency, the tongs poured into, long in square shapes and air-dried by several rounds. Before the final forceps are fine-sorted, the forceps are checked for microscopic irregularities that cannot be seen with the eye.

The tongs are then divided into grades and packed in airtight packaging.

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.

Are there different kinds of ginger for sushi?

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There are different kinds of ginger for sushi.

In Japan, there are many different types of pickled ginger for sushi. Ginger is a very common ingredient in Japanese cuisine it is used daily in various dishes.

In the exclusive sushi restaurants in Tokyo, you will find that the restaurants make their own pickled ginger. They taste different than it can be bought by the glass in a supermarket or in an Asian store.

An exclusive sushi restaurant has their own unique recipe for pickled ginger. The ingredients they use to make the ginger are provided by their supplier.

In the Sushi course for beginners, I talk more about what Japanese sushi chefs look for when buying ginger 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.

That’s why Japanese sushi chefs from Tokyo are so popular!

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Most people know that Tsukiji Fish Market, located in Tokyo, is the largest in the world. The second largest fish market in the world is located in Los Angeles. There are many of the local seafood in Japan lands in Los Angeles and turns into sushi in the exclusive Japanese sushi restaurants.

In Los Angeles, you have Hollywood and celebrities in the film and music industry who love food and, especially, high quality food. So that’s why many Japanese sushi chefs work from some of the best restaurants in Tokyo, Los Angeles. In Los Angeles you can get sushi of the same quality as some of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo.

When I talk about the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo, it is not those that are on international lists which tourists and others can find.

I talk about the restaurants that the Japanese consider to be the best in Tokyo. That is, restaurants that are not publicly known. The Japanese do not pay that much attention to lists and guides.

I have found a few pictures from 2012. The pictures from the sushi bar in my teacher’s sushi restaurant Bar Hayama.

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.

What kind of fish do the Japanese eat in the winter?

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The Japanese have a slightly different relationship to gastronomy and fish than in Denmark.

In Japan, it is very normal to only eat ingredients that are in season like vegetables, fruits and fish.

The Japanese have a slightly different relationship to fish Japanese children are bottled up with fish. The Japanese families eat as much fish as a European family eats meat. On the other hand, they eat as much meat as a Danish family eats fish.

When it comes to choosing fish, the Japanese follow the season for fish e.g. fish that can be bought here and now at the fishmonger.

Here in the winter months, the Japanese eat many local fatty fish. In Scandinavian it could be the salmon.

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.

If a fish is caught in the sea near you can it be used for sushi?

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No, not necessarily even if it is freshly caught.

First of all, fish for sushi has a very special quality. You can not necessarily see that quality with your eyes. There are usually experts who have the knowledge and experience to be able to see that.

Also it is difficult to tell where the fish is coming from.

There are some fish that swim several kilometers a day. There are also fish that stay in the local area throughout their lives. There are areas in the world where fish are of better quality than elsewhere. Unfortunately, it also requires that you have an in-depth knowledge of it.

About Sushi course for beginners I talk more, how to make sure you get bought of a quality so that it is suitable to be used 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.

Is there a big difference in the quality of fish?

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Yes it is there.

There is a big difference in quality compared to whether it is a fish that you have to cook or whether it is a fish that is to be used for sushi.

Does it matter?

No, it’s not.

One of the criteria is that a fish must be as fresh as possible. If the fish is not fresh enough then you can risk getting sick.

In addition, it is also important where the fish has grown up. There are some areas in the world’s oceans that have just the right conditions in terms of the quality demanded for sushi.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you will learn what questions to ask a fishmonger when buying fish 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.