Sushi rice

Why is some sushi rice harder to cook?

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Some sushi rice is harder to cook because of the quality of the rice.

In Japan, there are many different types of sushi rice. Some types of rice are very exclusive because the quality is very high. Other types of rice are of normal quality with an average quality.

Some of the exclusive rice types are much harder to cook because; they lump more than other rice. This means that it is harder to cook sushi rice to perfection.

In the actual finishing of the cooked sushi rice, more and more advanced techniques must be used to prepare the rice for sushi.

The cooked sushi rice should be firm and soft at the same time. The rice grains must not be raw inside, but they must also not be cooked so much that they have a consistency like porridge. It is a balancing act that can be difficult to hit.

These are some of the reasons why sushi rice is harder to cook.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you get the shortcuts you need to be able to cook sushi rice to perfection 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.

Can you make sushi without nori seaweed?

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Sushi roll futomaki with prawns, web: http://chefzoeescher.comYou can make sushi without seaweed.

Except from nigiri sushi, I would not recommend making e.g. sushi rolls without nori seaweed. It’s never really going to taste good.

Nori seaweed is the vegetable in the world that contains the most vitamins and minerals; it plays a very important role in relation to sushi. Seaweed adds an extra taste experience to the other ingredients in the roll. Seaweed also keeps all the filling in place when you eat a piece of sushi. Then it is a good dining experience.

If you don’t use nori seaweed, the sushi pieces will have a completely different taste and consistency. You may also risk the rollers falling apart.

If you do not like seaweed, then my best advice is. Try eating a few single pieces of hosomaki (the small roll) with cucumber. It can take some time before the taste buds get used to 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 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.

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 the first thing Japanese people notice when they eat sushi?

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When a Japanese person orders sushi, they use other criteria to evaluate the food.

When it comes to sushi the Japanese’s favorite food is nigiri. The selection of fish in Japan is very large and it is very normal that you find 15 to 20 different fish on the menu.

What a Japanese person primarily looks for when eating sushi is whether the rice is cooked to perfection. The consistency of sushi rice should be soft but also firm. It should not be like porridge, but the rice grain should not be hard or raw inside either. It is a balance that is difficult to get.

If the rice is not cooked to perfection, I will affect the dining experience.  This is because quite a few ingredients are used for sushi. You use the best fish in the world, but if the rice is cooked to perfection the dining experience will fall apart.

In the Sushi course for beginners, you learn step-by-step how to cook sushi in a quality that is suitable for use in 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.

Why is it harder to cook sushi rice?

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When I make authentic Japanese sushi I will cook the rice as it is made and served in Tokyo, then rice plays a very important role.

It does so because in Japan, the consistency of the cooked rice is as important as the quality of the fish used for sushi.

If you use fish of poor quality then your sushi will not taste very good. This applies also to sushi rice.

The cooked sushi rice must be at least of the same quality as the fish. They should be firm but soft. They should not be like porridge but they should not be raw inside either. It can be a difficult balance to hit.

In the sushi course for beginners, you will learn how to cook sushi rice as they are cooked in restaurants in Tokyo.

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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.

Is it best to use Japanese sushi rice?

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There are many countries that produce rice for sushi such as Japan, the United States, Korea, Italy, and Thailand.

Using Japanese-produced sushi rice is not a must. In Japan, there are many different types of sushi rice of different grades. Japanese sushi rice is not always the best choice if you are not used to cooking sushi rice.

Some Japanese rice varieties are harder to cook than others, so buying Japanese sushi rice is not always an advantage.

On the Sushi course for beginners I talk more about which rice is best for Sushi.

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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.

Is there a difference between soy sauce?

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Yes there is a very big difference between soy sauce.

In Japan, soy sauce is used as a spice it is a way of seasoning the dish food and give it the final finish.

In Japan, soy sauce is not just soy sauce. There are as many different kinds soy sauce just as many as the cheese shelf in an European supermarket. When the Japanese select a soy sauce they first look at the following,

Which dish should the soy sauce be used?
What other spices are used to taste the dish?
How powerful or mild is the dish?

This is because the Japanese want to use a soy sauce that highlights the right qualities without being dominant. It also means that it does matter which soy sauce is used for sushi.

At Sushi course for beginners I talk more about which Japanese soy sauce best suits sushi.

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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.

Is there any difference between Japanese sushi rice?

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Japanese sushi rice is not just rice. There is a big difference between the quality and the different types of sushi rice. The variation in Japanese sushi rice is very large and like many other foods sushi rice are available in different grades such as cheap, middle class and expensive sushi rice.

The information on the packaging is sporadic and not always just informative.
Japanese sushi rice differs from sushi rice produced in other countries. In Denmark there is Japanese sushi rice that clumps more than others. You will notice this when the rice has been cooked and about to be mixed with winegar (salt and sugar).

That does not mean that something is wrong with the rice. It can be difficult to get rid of all the lumps especially if you are use to cook sushi rice.

At Sushi course for beginners you will learn how to cook sushi rice as in 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.