seafood

How has wasabi become part of a Japanese sushi meal?

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Wasabi became part of a sushi meal several thousand years ago.

Japanese sushi is originally a poor man’s dish. Japan is originally a fishing community.

Many years ago (8th century), many poor fishing families lived along the coasts of Japan. At that time, people did not earn much as a fisherman and it was difficult to feed the family. Most meals consisted of rice and fish.

At that time, the Japanese fishermen did not have a refrigerator either. To ensure that a few of the fish caught in the early morning hours for the family could also stick to be eaten in the evening, wasabi was smeared on the fish slices just before it was to be eaten. Wasabi was smeared on the fish slices to take some of the smell and to kill bacteria.

Since then, the meal has been refined to what we know today. Today, wasabi is used as a kind of spice on sushi pieces. It’s a way for sushi restaurants in Japan season a meal.

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.

What is Japanese Sea urchin?

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Japanese sea urchin also called uni in Japanese is a sea animal. It is round and has a lot of spikes, like a hedgehog.

Japanese sea urchins can be found on the menu of Japanese sushi restaurants in Japan and exclusive sushi restaurants in the US. It is a very fine and delicate taste.

In Europe, more and more people gets to know sea urchins, there are several European chefs who have traveled to Japan in recent years. The food experiences they have had in Japan have been taken to Europe. More and more restaurants in Denmark have got sea urchins on the menu.

In Denmark, sea urchins most often come from the Faroe Islands.

In Japan, many different kinds of sea urchins are found in the sea around Japan.

Sea urchins do not taste the same. The Japanese sea urchins are divided into what area of ​​Japan they come from and their quality. It is bit like prawns.

In Europe you can buy cheap prawns, where the quality is not so good. Then you have the Greenlandic, which have a much finer quality. Similarly, there will be a difference in sea urchins.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier

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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 much seaweed do the Japanese eat?

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The Japanese eat a lot of seaweed.

In the sea around Japan, many different types of seaweed grow. Seaweed used for sushi and seaweed used for various kinds of Japanese dishes. Many thousands of years ago, the Japanese began drying seaweed. Seaweed was dried in such a way that vitamins and minerals remained intact. It was also a way to extend the shelf life.

Today, seaweed is grown on the sea bottom like as wheat is grown in other parts of the world. It is an agriculture that takes place on the sea bottom. The companies that produce seaweed have facilities that can dry large quantities of seaweed every single day.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners, where you learn about nori seaweed 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 rice for sushi?

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There is a big difference in sushi rice.

There are many countries that grow sushi rice. Japan, the United States, China and Korea grow large quantities of sushi rice every single year.

Within each country there are many different types of sushi rice. It can be compared to if you buy a bottle of white wine from France. In France, there is not just one who produces white wines. No, there are many different types of grape and wineries that produce white wines.

Like grapes for white wines, there are also types of sushi rice that are complex, ie. very difficult to cook and that has an impact on sushi restaurants, but also for you at home who want to make cook quality sushi rice.

In the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step how to cook sushi rice, so that the rice you cook at home is of a quality that is suitable for 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.

Can I eat sushi if I have a seafood allergy?

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You can eat sushi if you have a seafood allergy. If I had a seafood allergy I would make the sushi restaurant aware of that too, even though I ordered food that did not contain seafood. There are several reasons for this.

It is quite important that if you have some kind of allergy, then the food you have ordered should not have been in contact with a cutting board or another kitchen utensil where an allergenic raw material has been in contact. Otherwise you may risk a reaction as well, even if a sushi knife has only touched the raw material.

As a sushi chef, it is extremely important that you are told if a guest has an allergy so that you can take it into account when preparing food. There is no one who wants one’s guests to have a bad dining experience.

To be 100% sure, you should always inform the sushi restaurant if you have an allergy.

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.

What seafood is best suited for sushi?

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Sushi chef Zoë EscherIn Denmark only a few seafood is available for sushi. You often find tiger prawns on the menu which is quite a shame for many miss the unique flavors from other seafood.
In Japan different types of squid is used and served in different ways. Sea urchins are extremely popular in Japanese sushi restaurants and have a delightful taste.

In addition, the Japanese have a large selection of shrimps found only in the East part of the world. Shrimp has a size, taste and character that you unfortunately cannot get in Denmark.
In Denmark, we have many beautiful and not so exotic commodities that are perfect for sushi like lumpfish roe, scallops and smoked eel.

Read more about advanced sushi course

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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.

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The healthiest Japanese lunch consists of only 3 different ingredients

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5 healthy japanese onigiri for one
Yes, that’s for real.

One of the Japanese favorites to eat for lunch is an onigiri which usually consists of only 3 ingredients. When I talk about the classic Japanese onigiri, it contains rice, seaweed and fish.

Most people know fish is healthy. The Japanese are the population in the world that eats most fish. Their favorite fish are fatty fish, which are rich in omega 3.

The Japanese are also the population that eats the most seaweed. Seaweed is not just seaweed. There are many different types of seaweed depending on the dish to be made. Seaweed is the vegetable in the world that contains the most vitamins and minerals.

Since 2004 I have been eating onigiri in Japan. It was my Japanese kendo teacher in Tokyo who mentions me the classic Japanese lunch dish, which is also ideal when on the go.

Several have asked me if I do teach online cooking classes, and yes I do. I have therefore developed a new online course where you learn step by step to make 5 onigiri with 5 different kinds of fillings. It ranges from cooking rice, buying fish to the Japanese hand techniques used to make onigiri.

You can read more about the Mini ebook: 5 Healthy Onigiri for One

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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 is Japanese chef’s view of fish?

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Japanese chefs have a different view of fish.

In Japan, Japanese chefs use only raw materials that are in season.

A Japanese fish named Katsuo which is in the family with the tuna is in season 2 times a year. In spring it swims from southern Japan to the north. In spring, it is low in fat whereas in autumn when caught in northern Japan it is fat. On its swim from south to north it has eaten many small fish.

As a restaurant guest you can only find it on the menu card for a few months a year.
This is something that restaurant guests enjoy since the menu of Japanese restaurants in Tokyo changes very often.

Read more about the class Traditional Japanese cooking class 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’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.