Cooking class: Traditional Japanese cooking for beginners

Traditional Japanese everyday dishes
Traditional Japanese dishes are characterized by carefully selected fresh ingredients, delicate flavor combinations and a balance between textures and colors. This dedication to quality and detail has made Japanese food popular throughout the world.

What will you learn?

In cooking class you are introduced to healthy Japanese dishes which offers lots of colors, taste and the secret to the Japanese long life.
You learn about the Japanese ingredients such as mirin and cooking sake and how it is used in authentic Japanese cooking.
You get knowledge of what to look for when you buy fish, meat and other raw materials.
You learn to prepare different kinds of raw materials by applying Japanese cooking techniques.
You learn step-by-step how to make tasty dishes like gyoza, a noodle dish with seafood and teriyaki salmon with side dish.

Please read more about the cooking class Traditional Japanese cooking class 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.
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Cooking class: Japanese noodle soup for beginners

The cooking class Japanese noodle soup for beginners is for people who would like to learn how to make the Japanese noodle soup such as ramen soup.

A noodle soup is not a noodle soup in Japan it is the Japanese’s favorite fast food, which is healthy and stuffed with vitamins and minerals.

In this course, you will learn how to make dashi from scratch, just like Japanese chefs in Tokyo.
When you attend the course, you learn step by step, to use Japanese ingredients that give the unique flavors and aromas that know Japanese ramen soup.

Ramen

You learn how to make healthy and tasty noodle soups which is very popular on a busy day.
You larn how to make Japanese stock by using traditional Japanese raw materials.
You learn how to know the difference between different kind of noodle used in noodle soup.
You work with different Japanese cooking techniques and, cut different vegetables, meats and soy products.
You learn to make 2 tasty and healthy noodle soups that are made from scratch with classical raw materials.

NOTE: This year Noodle soup course is only planned on 4 September 2021 and 13 November 2021.

Read more about the cooking class Japanese noodle soup 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.

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Are there different kinds of ginger for sushi?

There are different kinds of ginger for sushi.

In Japan, there are many different types of pickled ginger for sushi. Ginger is a very common ingredient in Japanese cuisine it is used daily in various dishes.

In the exclusive sushi restaurants in Tokyo, you will find that the restaurants make their own pickled ginger. They taste different than it can be bought by the glass in a supermarket or in an Asian store.

An exclusive sushi restaurant has their own unique recipe for pickled ginger. The ingredients they use to make the ginger are provided by their supplier.

In the Sushi course for beginners, I talk more about what Japanese sushi chefs look for when buying ginger for 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.

Is there a big difference in rice for sushi?

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.

Can I eat sushi if I have a seafood allergy?

You can eat sushi if you have a seafood allergy. If I had a seafood allergy I would make the sushi restaurant aware of that too, even though I ordered food that did not contain seafood. There are several reasons for this.

It is quite important that if you have some kind of allergy, then the food you have ordered should not have been in contact with a cutting board or another kitchen utensil where an allergenic raw material has been in contact. Otherwise you may risk a reaction as well, even if a sushi knife has only touched the raw material.

As a sushi chef, it is extremely important that you are told if a guest has an allergy so that you can take it into account when preparing food. There is no one who wants one’s guests to have a bad dining experience.

To be 100% sure, you should always inform the sushi restaurant if you have an allergy.

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.

Do the Japanese eat spinach?

Yes, the Japanese eat spinach. They eat many different vegetables in one day.
The Japanese eat several different vegetables every single day. They diet pyramid is very varied and healthy.

In Japan, there are 3 different kinds of spinach plants. They each have their very own unique taste and, they are used differently depending on the type of the dish in question.

Horenso spinach is very similar to the classic European spinach. It is healthy and full of different vitamins.

Komatsuna spinach is mustard spinach. Of course, it is also healthy and full of vitamins. Of course it tastes like mustard and, it is used in salads or in soups and stews.

Mizuna is a spinach that has a more peppery taste. It is also healthy with many vitamins. The peppery taste makes it suitable for soups and strong stews.

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.

What does a traditional Japanese sushi menu consist of?


A traditional Japanese sushi menu, as served at a sushi restaurant in Tokyo, looks different.

The Japanese food culture is different than in Denmark.

In Japan, people learn to eat fish from childhood. On a daily basis, the Japanese eat as much fish as we eat meat in Europe. The Japanese eat as much meat as we eat fish.

The Japanese learn to appreciate many different kinds of fish and, it can be seen from the menu when you visit a sushi restaurant in Tokyo.

Typically there will be 20 different kinds of fish. The fish are turned into nigiri sushi. The Japanese love sushi rolls, but when it comes down to it, they prefer fish and rice. Therefore, A Japanese traditional sushi menu will consist of 10-15 nigiri sushi.

However, there will also be sushi rolls to a slightly more limited extent.

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?

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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What is the purpose of wasabi?

Most people have experienced wasabi when they eat sushi.
There are many in Europe who uses wasabi to give their sushi a little extra flavor. It often happens that guests mix wasabi with soy sauce and then dip a piece of sushi into the mixture.

Japanese sushi chefs use wasabi in another way.
In Japan, the guests do not have the opportunity to taste their sushi with wasabi. The only guests get handed when they sit at the table are pickled ginger and soy sauce.

In Japan, wasabi is not used for all sushi there are some seafood that tastes better without wasabi. The Japanese sushi chefs use wasabi to highlight flavors in the particular piece of sushi. It may vary depending on what other taste is involved in the preparation of that piece of sushi.

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.

What is Japanese chef’s view of fish?


Japanese chefs have a different view of fish.

In Japan, Japanese chefs use only raw materials that are in season.

A Japanese fish named Katsuo which is in the family with the tuna is in season 2 times a year. In spring it swims from southern Japan to the north. In spring, it is low in fat whereas in autumn when caught in northern Japan it is fat. On its swim from south to north it has eaten many small fish.

As a restaurant guest you can only find it on the menu card for a few months a year.
This is something that restaurant guests enjoy since the menu of Japanese restaurants in Tokyo changes very often.

Read more about the class Traditional Japanese cooking class 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.