Why are onigiri so popular in Japan?

5 healthy japanese onigiri for one
In Japan, onigiri is such a popular dish that Japanese people wait for several hours to buy onigiri from some of the best restaurants in Tokyo.

Basically, onigiri consists of a rice triangle with a tasty filling and the rice triangle is wrapped in nori seaweed, nori seaweed that most people know from sushi.

There are several reasons why the Japanese like to wait for hours to buy the best onigiri.

In Japan, boiled rice is not just boiled rice. As with sushi, a virtue is made out of cooking rice to perfection. The quality of the cooked rice determines how good the onigiri tastes.

In Japan, there are restaurants with menus with up to 50 different onigiri with their very own unique filling. There are almost no limits to what fillings can be used for onigiri.

Just like with sushi, onigiri is made by hand. In Japan, restaurants have refined their techniques in such a way that customers line up to taste just their onigiri. They make onigiri that make the bird sing and send their customers to heaven.

In the mini e-book: 5 healthy Japanese onigiri for one, you learn step by step how to make tasty onigiri suitable for everyday use and lunch.

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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 big is the selection of fish in a Japanese supermarket?


In Japanese supermarkets the fridge counter looks completely different than in Europe.
In the supermarket most of the products are written in Japanese characters and they have other products in the range.
The big difference in the selection of food products can be seen in the fridge counter. In Japan, fish is eaten as much as meat is eaten in Europe. This means that the selection of fish in fridge counter is large and varied. Every supermarket has high-quality filleted and whole fish packaged in a way that suits the average Japanese family.

In Japan, the season for raw materials is followed and, this means that the selection of fish changes from season to season. Japanese children learn from a very young age to eat many different kinds of fish prepared in many different ways.
That is why you find many unknown fish of different sizes in the fridge counter fish. Some of the fish are from Asia, while others come from the north, such as  salmon, which are known for their very high quality.

On the Sushi course for beginners you will learn about the most popular fish for sushi in our latitudes. Step by step, you learn from scratch to make tasty pieces of 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 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.

Is porridge suitable for sushi?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
There are many types of rice and porridge is one of them.
Lately I have been asked if porridge is suitable for sushi. My immediate answer is no, even if it is short-grain rice.

I must say that I have never made sushi with porridge rice.
I have made rice porridge many times and the texture of the cooked porridge rice is different from cooked sushi rice.

Most people do not think about it, but it is quite important.
If the cooked sushi rice does not have the consistency as it should, it will affect the whole taste experience. Sushi rice plays a decisive role in the quality of the dining experience.
Sushi rice should be soft with firmness. They must not be raw inside, but they must be cooked.
It requires a very specific type of short-grained rice, which is grown for just that purpose.

On the Sushi course for beginners you learn which sushi rice is best suited for sushi. You will also learn how to cook the rice so that you get sushi rice of the best quality.

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.

Japanese noodle soup for cold and rainy days!

Noodle soup
Lately it has been raining a lot in Denmark. The temperature has dropped above minus degrees and instead of snow we get lots of rain. The weather is most reminiscent of autumn weather.

Winter and spring months are perfect for warm, satisfying soups and boost the body with healthy vitamins and minerals.
One of the countries that specialized in filling soups that fit into a busy everyday life is Japan. Most people have heard of the classic ramen soup, which warms right up to the bones and gray everyday life.

Ramen soup is not the only soup that the Japanese enjoy all year round. There are several different types of noodle soups. Soups made with different types of stock, noodles and vegetables.
In Japan, you will not find restaurants that make the same noodle soup. There are many eateries that have developed their own soups from scratch, while others make soups that have been passed down from generation to generation.

On the noodle soup course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make 2 very different Japanese noodle soups from scratch. Soups that taste exactly the same as they are served in restaurants in Japan and not in Denmark.

Read more about Noodle soup 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.

Learn how to make sushi that can be enjoyed all year round!


Sushi is a dish that differs from most dishes that are prepared in a kitchen.

It is eaten cold all year round, regardless of whether it is for lunch or in the evening. It makes somewhat different demands on the raw materials used in the cooking. The raw materials must be as fresh as possible and of the best possible quality.
Sushi is one of those dishes where you can get the body’s need for vitamins and minerals in one meal without the dish being boring or vegan.

Sushi is also a dish where you can use exactly the ingredients needed to make it your favorite sushi.

However, there are some rules of the game.
There are Japanese cooking techniques that are good to know in order to get the most flavor and value for money. There is a world of difference in the taste experience, whether self-taught techniques are used or the techniques used by Japanese sushi chefs in Tokyo.

In the Sushi course for beginners, you will learn step by step the techniques that Japanese sushi chefs in Tokyo use when making sushi for their diners. With these techniques you will be able to make your favorite sushi with your favorite ingredients.

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.

Learn how to make tasty sushi that offsets the fat Christmas food!

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher

Christmas is a wonderful holiday that offers many different taste experiences; Christmas cookies, Christmas treats, Christmas lunches, chocolates and much more. Most people eat a little fattier food this month than the rest of the year. I do.
In December, I also like to eat food that is healthier and contains less fat which is different from the fatty dishes but also to give the body a break, so that I don’t have to go on a diet when we enter the New Year.

Healthy food is a broad term I like healthy and tasty food without compromising on quality. Sushi is one of the dishes that I prefer to make. There are many options for making sushi with different kinds of fillings, which boost the body with vitamins, minerals and omega3.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make delicate and tasty sushi that embraces the entire food pyramid in a healthy and nutritious way. Read more about Sushi course for beginners here

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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 most often eaten on New Year’s Eve in Europe?

What is most often eaten on New Year’s Eve depends somewhat on where in the country you live, there is a big difference between what family and friends eat on New Year’s Eve in countryside and in the capital.
For many years, the New Year’s menu has often consisted of beef tenderloin as a main course, a starter with fish or shellfish and a delicious dessert. A number of years ago I began to see a shift. Especially in recent years, it has gained momentum.

Times have changed in Denmark. Today sushi is the dish most often served on this special evening. On the last evening of the year, most people want to enjoy a delicate and tasty dinner. For many, fish, shellfish and bubbles are particularly delicious.
A sushi dinner can be put together in many different ways so that everyone who takes part in the dinner leaves the table full and happy.

The last sushi course of the year will be held on 18 December. You learn step by step how to make tasty sushi from scratch. You will also get tips on where to find ingredients that are also suitable for a New Year’s dinner.

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 kind of sushi do the Japanese choose when they order sushi?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher

What kind of sushi the Japanese choose when they eat sushi depends on whether they eat sushi in a restaurant or order sushi as take-away.

If it is about a dinner that is enjoyed in a restaurant, the Japanese prefer to eat nigiri sushi. Sushi restaurants in Japan often have 15-20 different fish on the menu, which is a nice opportunity to taste many different fish and shellfish in one evening.
In Japan, it is very normal to eat 13 pieces of nigiri in one evening. Dinner usually ends with an omelet.

When it comes to take-away the Japanese prefer sushi rolls. The mainly chooses the small and the large rolls, where the seaweed is on the outside of the roll. The selection is large and the rolls are available with fillings ranging from pickled plum to shiitake mushrooms. Insite out rolls, where the seaweed is inside the roll are not very common in Japan.

On the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make several different 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.

Learn how to make ramen noodles as in Japan!

Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

In Japan, noodle soups are considered a healthy fastfood that fits the Japanese busy everyday life with work, family and leisure.
In Denmark and the rest of Europe, most people are familiar with ramen noodle soup, which is made with miso.
In Japan, the selection of noodle soups is very large, there are many types of noodle soups which are made either from chicken stock, pork stock or fish stock. In Japan several different types of noodles are used for noodle soups. The choice of noodles depends on what kind of soup is being made.

In Denmark and in Europe there are manye noodle soup restaurants that serves noodle soups. The taste is different compared to noodle soups thats are served at restaurants in Tokyo. In Japan, chefs uses other ingredients and techniques to make the delicate and tasty dish with the unique flavors and aromas that characterize ramen noodle soups in Japan.

You can also learn to make it. On the Noodle soup course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make noodle soups from scratch. You learn about dos and don’ts so that you get the most possible value for your money when you make the most popular Japanese fastfood at home.

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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.