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.

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.

Is it difficult to make Japanese gyoza?

There are more and more people who have tasted Japanese dumplings called gyoza in Japanese. It is a classic dish in Japanese cuisine, most often eaten as a small appetizer, snack with glass of wine or as a main course.

It is delicious dish most often made with pork added Japanese ingredients and raw materials which give the unique Japanese flavor. Gyoza is an exciting challenge to learn to make. Several techniques are used to prepare the ingredients for gyoza, various hand techniques are also used to fold the delicate gyoza.

The way to cook gyoza is different. They do not come in a frying pan, as in some countries. They have to go through several steps before it is ready to be eaten while still hot.

At the Traditional Japanese cooking class for Beginners, learn how to make delicious and tasty gyoza from scratch just as they are served at 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.

Recipe: Champon noodle soup

Japanese noodle soup made on pork stock.
The recipe is for one person and the total time spent is 13 hours.

Broth:

2 kg of pork bones
1 piece (15×15 cm) Kombu

The soup:

4 dl stock
2 tbsp. soy sauce (Sanbishi)
1 tbsp. mirin
3 tbsp. cream
½ tsp. salt
Sprinkle pepper
1 pk. pre-cooked ramen noodles
2 thick slices of pork
10 Shime ji mushrooms
1 spring onion
1 scallop
1 handful of bean sprouts
2 handfuls of white cabbage

Method

1. Pork bones come in a large spot with a piece of Kombu.

2. Cover the bones with 3 cm of cold water and set to boil.

3. Cook the stock under low heat for 12 hours.

4. Remove the foam in the surface with a tablespoon.

5. Remove the fat at the top of the broth with a tablespoon.

6. Continuously add some water to the broth.

7. Brush the pork slices with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt on both sides and bake at 80° for 1 hour.

8. Rinse the spring onion and cut with an angle to thin slices.

9. Rinse the bean sprouts.

10. Cut the mushroom across at the root.

11. Rinse cabbage and cut into 1 cm strips.

12. Cut the scallop into thin slices.

13. Cut the pork to 1 cm thick strips.

14. Place the pre-cooked noodles in a pot with boiling water for 15 seconds to loosen the noodles.

15. Remove the water and add the noodles to the serving bowl.

16.Pure mirin, soy sauce, cooking cream, and pepper into the broth

17. Add scallops and mushrooms to the soup and cook for 2 minutes.

18. Add spring onions and pork to the soup and cook for 1 min.

19. Cabbage added to the soup and it all turns.

20. Pour it all over the noodles and the dish is ready for serving.

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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.

Have you tried Japanese barbecue?

Japanese barbecue also called Yakiniku it is a popular dish in Japan which is enjoyed year round. In Japan there are many restaurants that only have barbecue on the menu.

Japanese barbecue is very different from what we use to in Europe. The guest will order different kinds of meat and vegetables that are placed on the table. In the middle of the table is a barbecue grill where you cook the different kinds of meats, seafood and vegetables. You eat the prepared food by dipping the individual pieces into different sauce. With the food you will typically be served a miso soup and a small bowl of rice.

Below are photos from an authentic Japanese Yakiniku restaurant in Los Angeles.

In the photo kobe style short rib “kalbi”, as exclusive Japanese meat.

The picture shows Pork toro, which is a piece of exclusive meat on the pig.

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.