USA

How often do the Japanese eat ramen soup?

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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?

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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.

Is it difficult to make tasty vegetarian sushi?

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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?

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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.

Therefore, Japanese sushi seaweed is so healthy!

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Most people have heard that eating seaweeds are healthy. And that’s it.
There are more and more companies that sells seaweed to consumers.

However, I am a little skeptical.
It does matter where the seaweed are picked. There are areas that are contaminated.

Therefore, I continue to eat seaweed Nori for sushi.
Seaweed for sushi is grown as oats grow on a Danish soil. That’s why I know that the quality is okay.

In addition, sushi seaweed is the vegetable in the world that contains most minerals and vitamins.

At Sushi course for beginners I talk a lot more about seaweed.

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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?

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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.

Which criteria is the most important thing when Japanese buy sushi in Tokyo?

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Every year I travel to Brussels in December and spend a few days in the company a delgation of high-grade Japanese Kendo teacher.

A couple of years ago I asked them,

What is the most important thing when you buy sushi?

They all said that sushi rice cooked to perfection is the most important thing for them. None of them are interested in eating sushi rice which has a consistency like pudding. They are also not interested in eating sushi rice that is still uncooked in the middle.

For Japanese, they are the perfect sushi ripe firm but soft in consistency. It is consistency that can be difficult to hit if you are not used to boiling sushi rice.

At Sushi course for beginners the attendants learn what it takes to achieve perfect sushi rice.

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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.

Tuna is just tuna

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TunaIn 2012 I visited my Japanese sushi chef instructor Toshi in Los Angeles. I got some private lessons in his restaurant where he introduced to a nigiri technique that takes 20 years to master. 

One day one of his talented Japanese sushi chefs showed me 2 different kinds of tuna. Tuna is called  toro and the piece on the left side is matured up to 3 weeks before it is used for sushi.

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.

Gem

Can all types of seafood be used for sushi?

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For that I have to say both Yes and No.

It depends a lot on how it is used in sushi.
You have to think that seafood has a completely different texture than fish. Most fish fillets are quite firm in the meat.

If you look entirely at seafood they remind you most about a bag of mixed candy. Seafood comes in many different sizes, tastes and texture. It is the raw material that is the hardest to use for sushi.

Some seafood used in sushi restaurants outside Europe are very difficult to prepare for sushi, it requires you as a sushi chef to use many different Japanese cooking techniques.

The consistency of seafood is also very different. Some shellfish have a very hard surface while others are very soft. In order for this type of raw material to become a gastronomic experience, you need to know which Japanese cooking techniques are best suited to it.

At the Sushi course for beginners the attendance learns to prepare the most sought after raw materials 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.

Why seaweed used for sushi is so healthy?

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The Japanese are the population of the world who live the longest in the world and for good reason. The Japanese eat large amounts of seaweed and it is not only when they are having sushi.

There are many different types of seaweed depending on whether it is to be used for soups, cold dishes, hot dishes, a starter or a salad.
The different types of seaweed produced to be consumed are very healthy. Seaweed used for sushi is the vegetable in the world that contains the most minerals and vitamins.

So with a very small amount of money the Japanese can eat large quantities of vegetables.

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.