Why does Japanese sushi taste different than in Denmark?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
In Japan, sushi tastes in a completely different way than in Denmark.
I often meet people who ask what the reason for this could be.

There are several reasons for this.

In Japan, other fish, vegetables and ingredients are used to make sushi.
The Japanese sushi chefs use some other cooking techniques to cook sushi rice.
The Japanese sushi chefs use completely different cutting and hand techniques in the preparation of sushi.

Last but not least, Japanese sushi chefs have up to 35 years of experience in making sushi. You can of course wonder why it takes so many years to be trained as a Japanese sushi chef.

Japanese restaurant guests have very high demands on their food. The rice must be cooked to perfection and the fish, cut into silky slices that melt on the tongue.

In Japan, many sushi restaurants make minimalist sushi, where it’s basically just rice and fish. It makes great demands on the sushi chef’s skills, as you, as a guest, can taste everything.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make tasty sushi that you can enjoy with your loved ones.

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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.

How often does salmon come to Copenhagen?


Salmon is a fish that has become very popular outside of Scandinavia in recent years. In recent years, Asia has become aware of how good the quality of salmon in Scandinavia is and part of the Scandinavian salmon ends up in, among other things Japan.

Denmark is the perfect spot when it comes to fresh salmon, which is suitable for cooking on a pan or eaten raw. Salmon arrives daily from Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands.
A few years ago, Faroese salmon that was farmed out in the sea only came to Denmark twice a week. That type of salmon is the most expensive and initially the demand was not that big. Since then, things have gone strong and Faroese salmon of high quality arrives in Denmark every single day.

On the Sushi course for beginners you learn more about which type of fish is best suited 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.

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.

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

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.

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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.

Who invented Sushi?

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
It is a very specific group of the Japanese people who have invented sushi. It’s not chefs.

Sushi has originally been a poor man’s dish.
Along the coast of Japan fishing families live and make a living by catching fish. At that time many hundreds of thousands of years ago, their income was modest. It depended on how many fish were caught.
To support the family, some of the freshly caught fish was set aside. The fish was filleted and cut into smaller pieces. Along with freshly cooked rice, the fish was eaten with a little wasabi and soy sauce.

This raw fish dish came to Tokyo. The dish was refined and served in a different way by Japanese chefs and turned into sushi. For decades, Japanese chefs have made their own interpretation of sushi.

Some styles can be seen at sushi Michelin restaurants in Tokyo, others make classic Japanese sushi and some sushi restaurant chains make sushi for students.

At Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step how to make sushi with the ingredients and techniques used at exclusive Japanese sushi restaurants.

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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 all types of vegetables be used for sushi?

Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher
Not all types of vegetables can be used for sushi.
A vegetable like eggplant is not suitable for sushi at all. There are several reasons why

If you cut an eggplant into slices, then it is not firm in consistency. And once it is cooked on a pan or in the oven, it is very soft and falls apart easily.

Eggplant is also a vegetable that in itself does not have much flavor. It requires the use of some other ingredients that can provide an extra flavor dimension.

Onions are also not a raw material that is optimal to use for sushi.
No matter what type of onion is used, onions have a rather strong taste. Raw onions can also bother the stomach and, not everyone wants to smell of onions the rest of the evening.

At Sushi course for beginners, you learn step by step, to prepare and slice ingredients and make tasty sushi according to the Danish Food Administration’s rules.

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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.

Sushi is also a way to be together!

Sushi chef & sake sommerlier Zoë Escher
Yes of course, it’s great to eat a sushi with good friends.

But, that is not exactly what I had in mind. Making sushi together is a great way to spend time together.

Decide what kind of sushi to make
Select rice suitable for sushi
The different stages of sushi rice
Cooking sushi rice
Select fish and vegetables for sushi
Handling of fish in accordance with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration’s rules
Use different techniques to cut fish and vegetables
Step by step to make different kinds of sushi
Cut sushi and prepare the food

Making sushi is a great way to be together.

Everyone is creative and gets the opportunity to make sushi with their favorite fish and vegetables it is a way to use your body differently.

The mind is free of everyday thoughts and instead focused on making tasty sushi which is enjoyed later in the day.

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.