What is the Japanese chef’s view of noodle soup?

In Japan, noodles soup can be compared to Danish meatballs.

All Japanese chefs including sushi chef knows how to make a tasty noodle soup. From childbirth the Japanese learn that noodle soup is a dish that can be eaten all year long.
There is not only a kind of noodle soup. The selection is very big. Just like meat balls each noodle has their very own unique recipe for how to make the best fund from scratch.

However, there is of course a red thread in the noodle soups that are being made in Japan. There are differences between Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese noodles, because there are different ingredients and flavors used to make soups.

You can read more about Japanese noodle soup 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.

Are Japanese sushi restaurant in Tokyo different?

TokyoThere are many different types of restaurants in Tokyo.

The most exclusive sushi restaurants in Tokyo are very different compared to European restaurants.
The size of a Japanese sushi restaurant can be very small.  There are many Japanese restaurants that has only room for 6 – 15 people. There are several reasons for that.

Tokyo has 20 million citizens living in a very small geographic area. Besides the many people living in Tokyo there are also many restaurants, street food and shops. There is almost a restaurant on every street in Tokyo so the competition in the neighborhood is fierce.

There is also another factor which is that the Japanese do not compromise on the quality of food and service. Tokyo is the city of the world with the highest quality of food.

Every restaurant try their best to provide the best food and service. The competition between the restaurants are very fierce. In order for a restaurant to succeed the has to be good.

Please 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.

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What characterizes the unique Japanese aroma in classic Japanese dishes?

The classic Japanese aroma that characterizes Japanese cuisine is quite unique. There is no other country in the world that has something similar.

The Japanese aroma basically consists of seaweed and dried fish.
In Japan there are seaweed and dried fish in many varieties and qualities. However, not everyone is used to making the classic aroma. There are varieties of seaweed that are only suitable for sushi, some for salads, others to make a fund, etc. And this also applies to dried fish.

The picture shows several different types of dried fish. Small dried fish used only for certain Japanese dishes.

On the course Traditional Japanese cooking class for beginners we explore and work with different types of Japanese soy sauce all of which play an important role in preparing classic Japanese dishes.

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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?

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.

Which knife is used to cut fish for sushi?

Sushi knifeThe best knife for sushi is a special knife called sushi knife. There are several types of knives but not all are equally good.

I prefer to use a good Japanese sushi knife. The Japanese have the best sushi knifes and cooking utensils designed for sushi. They do also have a huge knowledge about which knife is best for you.

The Japanese knife blade has a slope which is very important when you cut fish for sushi.
For those who do not know. I can taste if the sushi chef has used a Japanese sushi chef knife or a European knife.

The Japanese knifes are best for sushi.

Please 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, Accenture audit Elbek & Vejrup and many more.
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How often do the Japanese eat ramen soup?

The Japanese people eat very often ramen soup. It is Japanese preferred fast food and it is eaten throughout the year. You can compare the Japanese ramen soup to grandma’s meatballs.

In big and small cities in Japan you will find noodle bars making their very own version of ramen soup. In some noodle bars the recipes have been passed down for generations.

The Japanese noodle bars are very small seen with European eyes. Some of them can only accommodate 15 guests. In Japan, it takes no more than 5 minutes to cook a bowl of smoking hot soup. For most Japanese eating a bowl of noodle soup takes no more than 10 minutes.

During one day a noodle bar can reach many guests.

Read more about the Noodle soup 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.

Is there any difference between Japanese sushi rice?

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.

Is it difficult to make tasty vegetarian sushi?

Vegetarian sushi can taste at least as good as sushi with fish.

There are several challenges when it comes to cooking. Most fish species are both soft and fairly firm in the flesh.

When making vegetarian sushi, there will often be some other ingredients such as vegetables that are in play. Vegetables have a completely different texture than fish and must therefore be handled in a completely different way. Some vegetables can be very hard, medium hard and others very soft.

The structure of the vegetables also has an impact on which techniques to use.

These are some of the reasons why it is challenging to make vegetarian 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.

How long can sushi stay in the summer heat?

Sushi should not be in the sun very long time.

If you have bought take-away or made sushi at home then sushi should be kept in the fridge.

Normally, it is said that sushi must be taken out of the fridge 15 minutes before it is eaten so it has room temperature. If the food is too cold you will not fully benefit from the flavors.

When it’s as hot as it is at the moment I’ll first take sushi out of the fridge approx. 10 min before.

Bon appetite!

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 are Japanese sushi chefs take on fresh raw materials?

A Japanese sushi chef in Japan have a different view of raw materials.
If a fish is still alive or caught the same day when the restaurant collects raw materials from the supplier then the raw material is considered fresh.

In 2010, I visited the exclusive sushi restaurant Kyubey in Tokyo where I had a sushi dinner.

At one point the sushi chef came out into the sushi bar with a big shrimp sitting on a leaf on his hand and was looking.

He looked at me and asked, “Do you want it fresh or cooked?”
I thought “I can always get cooked shrimps in Denmark”. “I want it fresh,” I said.

2 seconds later the chefs broke the head of the shrimp and removed the skull and intestine. A few seconds later, the sushi chef made a nigiri. The shripm that lay on the nigiri was still moving it was the nerves that moved.

I looked with big eyes and thought “that might be fresh enough.”
I ate it and I have never eaten a nigiri with shrimp that tasted so good. It still had body temperature and it was so good.

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.