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

_
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

_
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.

Would you like Sushi for New Year’s Eve?


Even though there are still a few months to New Year’s Eve. You shouldn’t wait too long to plan dinner for the evening if it is to be homemade.

It is possible to save on dinner on New Year’s Eve by cooking the food yourself. Some would probably say that homemade sushi is not the same as buying sushi.
It depends on where you learned to make sushi. If you learn the techniques behind sushi from a Japanese trained sushi chef, you are well on your way. Because then you can have a few more months to practise to get even better.

Sushi course for beginners is perfect for you who want to make sushi as a starter or a whole dinner. There are advantages to making your own sushi dinner.

You can make sushi exactly as you like with your favorite vegetables and fish.
You know how to get the most for your money when you buy fish from a fishmonger.
You know how to handle fish also in accordance with the Danish Food Agency.
You know which Japanese ingredients are best for sushi.
You know how to make different kinds of sushi, which are suitable for everyday life and parties.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

Eat sushi several times a week even if the prices go up

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher

Yep, it is true. You can still eat sushi as usual, even if the prices have increased. There are several different ways to eat sushi.

Sushi is a dish that is perfect for lunch, dinner or special events. Denmark is one of the countries where sushi is eaten all year round.

Just like in Japan, more people choose to eat sushi as take-away. After a long day at work, it is nice to sit down at the dinner table with sushi from your favorite sushi restaurant.

– As a family, it has become more difficult to eat sushi a few times a week. Several have also opened their eyes to making sushi themselves.
– The advantage of learning to make sushi from a Japanese sushi chef is that you learn the Japanese techniques and tricks behind tasty sushi.
– You learn where to buy the ingredients that are suitable for sushi and avoid wrong purchases.
– You learn about fish and what you should pay attention to when buying fish. That way you get the most bang for your buck.
– Step by step, you learn how to make delicate and tasty sushi with your favorite ingredients.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

_
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 often do sushi restaurants in Japan replace in the menu?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
Japanese sushi restaurants in Tokyo change the menu more often than in Europe.Often the menu will consist of 13-15 different seafood. Some fish such as salmon and scallops can be found year-round on the menu.

There will typically be 3-5 fish on the mennu that follow the season for fish. Some fish are caught in the spring when they are going to spawn, while other fish are to be caught in the summer. It depends on the species of fish.

A fish like tuna is also popular in Japan.
Often a sushi restaurant will have 3 different kinds of tuna on the menu. It will often be tuna of different qualities, one will be lean tuna, another will fat tuna and the more exclusive restaurants have a tuna on the menu, which is matured just like beef. Tuna can be matured for several weeks just like beef.

Some sushi restaurants have the fish of the day on the menu. There it is up to the sushi chef what can be bought of fish on the fishing market in the early morning hours.

In Japan, it is an exciting experience to go out and eat, since you do not always know what fish are on the menu.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

_
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.

The season for lumpfish roe is underway!


The Danish delicacy lumpfish roe is now available in most fish shops.
It’s a good year for lumpfish roe, at the moment there are lots of purified lumpfish roe.

It is a wonderful Danish delicacy that can be enjoyed in several different ways.
One of the best ways to eat lumpfish roe is along with blinis, finely chopped red onion and sour cream.
If you cannot get hold of blinis, you can of course use toasted sandwich bread.

Lumpfish roe is the first sign of spring it often falls at the same time.

The season for lumpfish roe varies from year to year. It is not to say how long the little fine pink pearls can be obtained at the fishmongers. So far, it can be freshly cleaned at most fishmongers.

Read more about Sushi Chef & Sake Sommelier Zoë Escher

_
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 sushi expensive in Japan?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher

I have been coming to Japan since 2004. Over the years, I have eaten a lot of sushi. It ranges from everyday sushi to sushi served at Michelin restaurants.

In my eyes, sushi is not expensive in Japan.
Here I look at the quality you get for your money. Whether you buy everyday sushi or gourmet sushi in Japan, it is cheap compared to sushi restaurants in Europe.

There are several reasons for this.
In Japan, only 8% is paid in tax on restaurant invoices and take-away food. That in itself is a pretty big saving. It can be felt especially if you often go out and eat.

The competition among restaurants is very fierce.
As in Europe, restaurateurs want to have filled restaurants all week opening days. It is also important that the food is of a high quality and that guests are happy. There are also many restaurants that maintain a price level where their customers can afford to come and eat.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make sushi with the most in-demand ingredients in Europe.

_
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 styles are there in Japanese sushi?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
In Japan there are several different sushi styles several more than in Denmark.
The range between lower quality sushi and very high quality sushi is very large.

At the very top you will find sushi restaurants that are so exclusive that they are too good to be in the Michelin guide. Then you will find exclusive sushi restaurants, which have been given a place in the Michelin guide.

Then you will find 5 different quality levels of sushi restaurants.
In general, the level for every type is very high, yes even the lowest level will be high compared to Europe.

Sushi in Denmark which is considered exclusive gourmet sushi is everyday sushi in Japan. This is because sushi has its origins in Japan, there are many sushi restaurants and the competition between the restaurants is fierce.

In the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step to apply the techniques used by Japanese gourmet sushi chefs.

_
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.

Which chopsticks are best suited for sushi?


It depends on how good you are at using chopsticks. If you are as experienced as the Japanese in Tokyo, then you can use chopsticks that are made in different materials. Lately I have been seeing chopsticks in steel.

The Japanese would never make chopsticks out of steel. They are too slippery to hold in the hand, difficult to grasp the food and they are difficult to eat with. Also, steel is not a material found in nature.

In Japan, the preferred material for chopsticks is wood. However, there are many different types of wood used for chopsticks. In Japan, the design of chopsticks plays a big role. They should be easy to hold between the fingers, easy to eat with and the design should be Japanese.

It is easy to see on chopsticks if they are easy to use. They are made in a design that makes them comfortable to hold in the hand. The outer part of the chopsticks will have a slightly rough surface like sandpaper. It makes it easy to hold on to the food.

The Japanese families like that chopsticks are made in many different designs and quality, so there is little to choose from.

Read about Sushi course for beginners

_
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.

Do all restaurants in Japan use the real Japanese wasabi?


I have been traveling to Japan since 2004 to broaden my horizons and, learning new things from my Japanese teacher. Under normal circumstances, I travel to the Japan every year and on my many trips, I have had many gastronomic experiences ranging from everyday sushi to 2 star Michelin restaurants.

Real wasabi is widespread in Japan. However, not all restaurants use the real wasabi, even in Japan. Usually only Michelin sushi restaurants use the real wasabi.

I have tasted the real wasabi several times in Japan and, I cannot taste the difference. The strong taste disappears a little faster when it comes to the real wasabi.

Wasabi is a horseradish that grows in Japan. It has difficulty growing outside of Japan and therefore artificial wasabi is used. In Denmark, artificial wasabi is widespread it is only a few restaurants that import wasabi from abroad.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

_
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.