Sake and Cheese: Exploring Harmonious Pairings
Sake 101: Delving into Fermentation and Flavor Synergies
As a wine enthusiast, the world of fermentation is vast and endlessly intriguing. While wine and cheese pairings are well-known territory for wine lovers, the harmonious relationship between sake and cheese opens up an entirely new frontier of taste experiences. Both are products of meticulous fermentation, and their symbiotic relationship can surprise and delight the palate.
A decade ago, I had the pleasure of dining at a renowned restaurant in Tokyo. After a wonderful meal, the sommelier presented a unique dessert pairing: Kijoshu, a sweet, rich sake, served alongside blue cheeses. The luscious sweetness of the sake combined with the bold, tangy flavors of the cheese was nothing short of a revelation—an experience that completely reshaped my perception of sake’s versatility, much like a fine dessert wine.
In that moment, I was instantly reminded of how lactic acid plays a crucial role in sake production, and my eyes lit up with excitement—"Of course, sake pairs beautifully with cheese!"
Today, I’d love to share a glimpse into a part of sake production and introduce some basic sake and cheese pairing trials—because the best way to understand a pairing is to taste it yourself!
📍 This post is part of my weekly Friday pairing series, where I explore unexpected yet delightful food and wine (or sake) pairings.
📍 Written by Kazumi, a Japanese DipWSET, wine and sake educator.
Sake Yeast: The Only Microorganism That Thrives in an Acidic Environment
Sake, often referred to as Japanese rice wine, is a fermented beverage with a rich history and diverse flavor profiles. Its production involves converting rice starch into fermentable sugars, followed by yeast-driven fermentation, resulting in a drink that can range from light and fruity to rich and umami-laden, with different type of aromas.
Just like wine, various factors influence sake’s style, but today, I want to focus on one of the key elements: lactic acid—which is produced in a fundamentally different way than in wine and plays a crucial role in sake fermentation.
Lactic Acid in Sake
In winemaking, fermentation is a single-step process, where yeast converts grape sugars into alcohol. Sake production, however, follows two-steps path, involving simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. In this process:
1️⃣ Koji mold converts rice starch into sugar.
2️⃣ Yeast then ferments the sugar into alcohol.
This parallel fermentation—with multiple microbial activities occurring at the same time in an extremely sugary environment—creates a high-risk setting for contamination.
The Role of Lactic Acid in Sake Fermentation
Lactic acid plays a pivotal role during the initial stages of fermentation by creating an acidic environment that suppresses undesirable bacteria. This ensures a clean and controlled fermentation, allowing sake yeast to thrive.
Historically, sake brewers empirically discovered the protective power of acidification, long before modern science could explain it. This process is essential for developing sake’s distinct flavors and aromas too, shaping its purity and complexity.
Traditional method (Kimoto and Yamahai): These traditional methods involve a labor-intensive process that encourages the natural propagation of lactic acid bacteria. This natural approach leads to a robust and complex flavor profile, similar to the use of natural yeast in winemaking. You can recognized this method from the distinct lactic/dairy aromas such as mil, cream, fresh cheese (like cream cheese or mozzarella) or mature cheese (cheddar.)
Quick fermentation starter: Introduced in the early 20th century, this modern approach accelerates the fermentation process by adding commercially produced lactic acid directly to the mash. This method results in a lighter and cleaner flavor profile, allowing for more control over the brewing process.
Back to Cheese and Sake Pairing
At first glance, it makes sense to assume that traditionally brewed sake pairs better with cheese. The rich aromas and creamy textures seem to align naturally. And in many cases, this holds true. But not always. Sake’s delicate flavors can sometimes be overwhelmed by the bold, distinctive character of certain cheeses. Let’s explore how different styles of sake interact with a variety of cheeses.
The Experiment: Selecting the Sake
For this first step into cheese and sake pairing, I selected three distinct sakes:
Tengumai Junmai Daiginjo Yamahai
With a polishing ratio of 35% (meaning only 35% of the rice grain remains), this is an exceptionally refined sake. The nose is rich and complex, balancing purity from the rice with earthy depth from the Yamahai method. Expect notes of fresh cheese, yogurt, rice porridge, and subtle hints of melon, lychee, mushrooms, butterscotch, and walnuts.
On the palate, it’s full-bodied and round, with a thick, velvety texture that coats the mouth. Its high acidity provides freshness and balance, leaving an elegant, long-lasting finish. This is an ultra-premium sake that embodies precision, complexity, and power.
KID Junmai Sake
A beautifully delicate and fresh sake with aromas of steamed rice and rice flower, with a gentle floral undertone and fruitiness. On the palate, it’s soft and round, striking a perfect balance between mild sweetness and umami. The silky mouthfeel and well-integrated acidity make it effortlessly drinkable yet structured enough to hold its own with food. The clean, crisp finish lingers with a touch of umami, fading into a refreshing aftertaste with a sense of purity and balance. This is quite safe option from renowned producer’s gastronomic food-friendly sake.
Iwa no I Yamahai Junmai Sake
Brewed using the traditional Yamahai method, this sake has a polishing ratio of 60% and features deep umami flavors with a more subdued aroma. When warmed, it opens up beautifully, revealing a bold, full-bodied character. Dry and rich, it showcases the pure flavor of rice and a crisp finish. Versatile and food-friendly, it pairs well with a wide range of cuisines, from Japanese to Western and even Chinese dishes. This is the most robust sake with higher umami, wanting something food together.
Tips for Sake and Cheese Pairing
Balance Intensity: Match the strength of the cheese's flavor with the sake's profile to ensure harmony.
Consider Temperature: Adjusting the serving temperature of sake can significantly influence the pairing outcome.
Experiment and Enjoy: Personal preferences play a significant role. Don't hesitate to try unconventional pairings to discover new favorites.
Cheese Pairings
I paired these sakes with four cheeses:
Comté (5-Year Aged) – A hard cheese from the Jura region of France, boasting nutty and caramelized flavors with crystalline textures that develop over extensive aging.
Brie de Meaux – Often called the King of Cheeses, this soft cheese offers a rich, creamy texture with earthy and mushroomy undertones.
Gorgonzola Piccante – A bold, spicy, and tangy Italian blue cheese with an intense, salty finish.
Fromage Affiné au Marc Gewurztraminer – A washed-rind cheese aged with Gewurztraminer marc, delivering a unique aromatic depth.
Now, let’s see how these sakes and cheeses interact—where harmony is found, and where the flavors clash.
Pairing Impressions
Comté (5-Year Aged): This moderately aged Comté harmonized beautifully with all three sakes. Its nutty and caramelized flavors complemented the sakes without overshadowing their delicate aromas, adding an extra layer of complexity to the tasting experience.
Brie de Meaux: The creamy interior of this cheese matched the rich, velvety texture of the Tengumai Junmai Daiginjo Yamahai particulary, creating a pleasant harmony. However, the robust flavor of the white rind was too dominant, diminishing the sake's subtle aromas and making it taste almost neutral, thereby not fully showcasing the sake's potential. Given that the robust taste, Iwanoi is the best mutch, but not impressive from the perspective of aromas.
Fromage Affiné au Marc Gewurztraminer: The soft texture of this cheese paired excellently with the sakes, particularly with the KID Junmai Sake. Its milder rind flavor, compared to Brie de Meaux, allowed for a broader compatibility, making it my second favorite pairing.
Gorgonzola Piccante: The intense flavors of this blue cheese were overwhelming when paired with any of the selected sakes. I plan to explore pairing it with Kijoshu (貴醸酒) in a future tasting session and will share those results subsequently.
Serving Temperature: All the sakes showed enhanced aromatic profiles and better integration with the cheeses when warmed to approximately 35°C (95°F), compared to being served chilled at 5-10°C (41-50°F).
Personal Favorite Pairing
Among the combinations, warming the KID Junmai Sake to 35°C and pairing it with Fromage Affiné au Marc Gewurztraminer stood out as the most delightful experience. The sake's gentle floral and fruity notes melded seamlessly with the cheese's creamy texture and subtle aromatic depth. Warming the sake elevated its umami and sweetness, creating a harmonious balance that was both comforting and sophisticated.
At the End
In conclusion, exploring sake and cheese pairings is a fascinating journey into harmonious flavors. The shared presence of lactic acid and umami compounds in both sake and cheese creates a natural synergy, allowing for unexpectedly delightful combinations.
By thoughtfully selecting pairings and considering serving temperatures, one can unlock a wide range of enjoyable matches, highlighting the versatility and depth of both sake and cheese. In addition, sake’s serving temperature variations add another playful dimension to the pairing experience.
Sushi isn’t the only option when it comes to sake pairings! Understanding the production methods behind wine, sake, and food—and discovering those miraculous coincidences between them—is one of my greatest joys.
Thank you always for reading.
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Cheers, and see you next Friday! 🥂