Sushi

The reason why you training as a Japanese sushi chef never stops

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In 2002 I heard about the concept “In Japan your training will never stop”. At the time, I didn’t really think about it.

It is true.

In 2006 I was trained to become a Japanese Sushi Chef & Sake Sommelier in Los Angeles by a very skilled Executive Sushi Chef with 40 years of experience.

In 2012 I traveled back to Los Angeles where I improved my techniques and was introduced to a nigiri technique that takes 20 years to master.

In September this year, I visited the restaurant in Los Angeles where I assisted a Japanese sushi chef named Mino who has worked as a sushi chef for 36 years.

Just before turning back to Denmark my Japanese sushi chef  instructor Toshi said that I can come and go as I pleased which means that my training is not finish.

Rad 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.

Do the Japanese drink matcha tea with milk?

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In August, I received a gift from one of my Japanese teachers. It has been packed away with all my Japanese tea.

Now I just see that it is something completely different from what I thought it was.

In 2010, I first experienced Matcha latte at a cafe in Tokyo.

I haven’t seen this “Matcha au lait” version. You can drink it both cold and hot. A small guide is provided in Japanese along the tea.

It is going to be interested to taste the tea.

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.

Enjoy Christmas with a slightly healthier lifestyle

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Yes, Christmas closer.

In this slightly cold and dark time in Europe it is nice to celebrate the joyful month with wonderful food, snacks and fun – and yet!

I also try to eat more varied in December month so my body doesn’t get use to food with high fat or sugar.

In December I eat more fish and vegetables than usual. Sushi seaweed is the vegetable in the world that contains the most vitamins and minerals. Sushi is the right thing I prefer to eat.

I always make my own sushi to, so I get exactly what I want it to eat.

On the sushi course for beginners you will learn the Japanese approach to sushi which just tastes best. With knowledge and a set of recipes under your arm you will be able to go straight home and make sushi with your favorite ingredients.

Read more about the 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.

Sushi chef pictures from 2006 in Los Angeles

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I just found an old picture from the 2006 from California Sushi Academy and a picture taken last month. Toshi still were his glasses in his forehead.
In 2006, we were all terrified every 14 days because our sushi skills were tested. Toshi is also a judge at sushi competitions in Japan and he is very tough as a judge.

In the first picture, Toshi is checking how clean my chef uniform is and then he is checking how sharp my sushi knife is.

Such a skill test consisted of fillet mackerel, sahimi, nigiri test, sushi roll test and presentation. Not only did he test our skills he also took time on how long we were about to make the food.

Thank god, I became No. 2 in the final and crucial skill test.

A lot has happened since then and today I am not dying of fear.

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, Accenture audit Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

 

Have you ever tasted sushi prepared with seasonal fish?

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FiskAs you very well an aware of there is many local fish of very high quality. Fish that are suitable and perfect for sushi but they are very often exported abroad.
For some strange reason mostly tuna, salmon and white fish find their way to sushi restaurants in many countries.

It is a pity that there are many local fish which are suitable for sushi but not being used. They have unique flavors and taste.
If want to try to use local fish for sushi you have to make sure that the fish is of best quality possible.

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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, Accenture audit Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Gem

What characterizes authentic Japanese sushi?

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If you look at authentic Japanese sushi it looks a little bit boring. Japanese sushi is basically just about fish and rice and when the food is so simple you fall through as a chef If you cannot cook sushi rice to perfection, cut the fish according to Japanese cutting techniques and use Japanese techniques to make sushi.

That is why it takes many years to become a good sushi chef. One can say that the more simple the food is the harder it is also to make.

At Sushi course for beginners attendants learnt the Japanese take on sushi, Japanese ingredients and Japanese cooking techniques to cook sushi rice and make tasty 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.

Do you know the Japanese view on sushi?

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The Japanese sushi chefs have a different on sushi from the rest of the world.
Japan sushi is very simple in its expression. They only use a few ingredients to create sushi pieces. The main focus is on cooking techniques. In Japan, it is very normal to spend 20-40 years on mastering different cooking techniques.

The Japanese do also spend a lot of time in enhance the qualities of the raw materials by using different cutting and hand techniques. Hand techniques that enrich the taste of sushi.

At Sushi course for beginners the attendees become wiser about the cooking techniques that are used.

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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 does sushi taste in Japan in a completely different way than in Denmark?

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I meet more and more people on my courses that have been in Japan.

There may be different reasons why sushi in Japan tastes differently. In Japan, you will often find some completely different fish on the menu than what you find at a Danish sushi restaurant.

Japanese sushi chefs in Tokyo also have a completely different background to Danish sushi chefs. The Japanese sushi chefs have a completely different knowledge and uses other techniques in preparing sushi. In Japan, it is very normal for techniques to take 20, 30 or 40 years to master. There is a slightly different approach to ingredients and sushi than what you see at a Danish sushi restaurant.

On the Sushi course for beginners you will learn how to prepare sushi of such quality that it is suitable to be served at a private dinner table.

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.

How big is the selection of fish for sushi in Europe?

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Denmark is a small country with about 5 mio citizens compared to Japan where only 20 million citizens in Tokyo.

Since Denmark is a small country the demand for fish is small too.

In Japan it is very normal that there are approximately 20 different high quality  fish on the menu in a Japanese sushi restaurant. In Denmark most people know of tuna, whitefish, salmon and prawns for sushi.

Denmark do have national high quality fish which are not used for sushi. I do not know why. But the Danish people will miss out unique flavors because they can never try different types of fish during a meal.

At Sushi course for beginners I will speak more about fish 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.

Los Angeles is a city with many Japanese sushi chefs

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As a sushi chef Bar Hayama is the restaurant I know best. In 2006 I was trained to become a sushi chef at California Sushi Academy. Next to the culinary school were Toshi’s sushi restaurant where we worked in the sushi bar and did catering.

In 2012, I was back in LA where my teacher Toshi introduced me to a nigiri technique that takes 20 years of master.

There is a big difference between whether you are trained by Japanese sushi chefs or trained in Denmark.

Japanese sushi chefs have other work procedure and use completely different techniques than European sushi chefs. When I work with Japanese sushi chefs with 36 years of experience the quality and taste of the sushi being produced is something completely different.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher
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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.