How many different kinds of tuna cuts are there?


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?

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 kind of fish can be eaten raw?


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.

Can you tell if a fish is fresh?


Unless you work in a fish shop it can be hard to tell when a fish is fresh. One of the area where you should not compromise is the freshness of the fish. There are several reasons for this.

Sushi made with fresh fish have a fantastic taste.
You also avoid your guests or yourself get sick.

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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 sashimi?

SashimiSashimi is raw fish slices without rice.

It is a dish which the fish slices are cut in such a way that they highlight the fish’s qualities.

Sashimi slices is not the same fish slices used for Nigiri. Sashimi slices are larger and abroad will often be square and 1 cm. thick.
This is because the sashimi dish in countries like Japan can be a full meal.

The picture shows a sashimi plate in Tokyo as you can see several different seafood had been used to create the dish.
The size of the dish is larger than what you typically experience in Europe as it is for 2 people.

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.

Japanese night snack at its best!

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.