Sakqueso X (October 2025)

This year’s Sakqueso sakes and cheeses

Sakqueso has been one of those words along with Gumi and Matsuri that have entered the Umami Mart lexicon. It is a portmanteau of the words sake and queso (cheese in Spanish) and refers to our yearly celebration of sake and cheese pairing. 

While most people have heard of sake and wine pairings, sake and cheese pairings are becoming more popular. Sake and cheese experts alike have been discovering how well the two work together - dare we say better than wine. 

Sake and cheese work so well together mainly because they share a common ingredient during fermentation: lactic acid. In addition to creating an environment where unwanted microorganisms cease multiplying, lactic acid results in flavors high in umami. And having sake and cheese, which are both high in umami, creates an umami explosion – often leading one to discover a third flavor that would only be unlocked when having them together. Simply put, it’s two delicious flavors that produce even more deliciousness when enjoyed in tandem. But not all sake and cheese pairings are created equal, and we put in the hard work of finding the most delicious pairings out of all there is to choose from.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Sakqueso. Over the past decade, Sakqueso has evolved and changed formats depending on our collaborators and the sakes themselves. Our first was celebrated at Sequoia Diner in the Laurel District, which is happily still thriving and a great place for brunch. For that very first Sakqueso, Casa de Kei served a three course dinner incorporating cheese. Timothy Sullivan of Hakkaisan brewery came from New York to pair his sakes alongside Kei’s inventive creations.

In 2018, we headed to Rockridge’s Ramen Shop and had a Sakqueso happy hour with sakes and a cheese plate. There, we learned that there was a lot to the art of cutting cheese and were saved by one of our good friends and kitchen wizard Chef Siewchinn, who stepped in to help us plate the cheeses. The loungey vibe was perfect for an evening of sake and cheese.

More recently for the past 4 years, we have invited Kevin Corcoran (Certified Cheese Professional) to help lead a discussion on the topic. In the 2010s, Kevin  taught a class at the annual American Cheese Society Conference titled “Unconventional Pairings,” where he paired Japanese fermented ingredients with cheese. We were honored to have him on as cheese consultant for Sakqueso in 2021 (on Zoom) and every year thereafer IRL! These past few Sakqueso’s have been more educational and intimate. 

We are grateful that Sakqueso has enamoured our community for the past 10 years and hope to introduce another engaging event this year. The success of Sakqueso is thanks to our Gumi members who eagerly await Sakqueso and give us feedback on our pairings and attend this annual event.

Kanpai,

Yoko (Co-Founder + Sake Director, Umami Mart)

SILVER + GOLD

Yamagata Masamune Inazo Usunigori
Mitobe Sake Brewery (Yamagata, Japan)
Seimaibuai: 60% Dewasansan
SMV: +2, Acidity: 1.5

This usunigori (light nigori) has a mere whisper of sake lees in it. While conventional nigoris tend to be thick and sweet, this sake is refreshing. It’s got fizz, and a summery aroma of green melons and cucumber skins. We also loved the slightly savory ending which makes it ideal for pairing with cheese. Our cheese pick for this sake is the Vella Dry Jack. It draws out the shiitake-like flavor of the cheese, and brings out more body in the sake. I call this the sophisticated lunchable pairing, reminding me of an afterschool snack of mac’n’cheese with a can of soda. Enjoy this sake chilled in a tumbler or wine glass.

Tsuchida Kimoto Junmai 
Tsuchida Sake Brewery (Gunma, Japan)
Seimaibuai: Gunma Rice 60%
SMV: -2.7, Acidity: 2.3

I enjoy coming back to this sake year after year. The brewery prides itself on minimal intervention techniques and celebrates the different flavor profiles that come out of their sakes every year. In this year’s kimoto there is a pronounced aroma of lemon and yogurt. The flavors are complex, with notes of shiitake, and raisin. A background note of bitter pine nuts lends depth to this sake. We recommend letting the sake breathe for a few minutes in a decanter for some of those tart aromas to mellow out. Because this sake is big and bold, we found that some aged cheeses like gouda and parmesan were fighting for the spotlight. The cheeses that paired best with this sake were creamy cheeses that were full of dashi-like umami that mellowed out the sake. Our cheese winner for this pairing is the Moses Sleeper from Jasper Hill in Vermont using cow’s milk and aged for 6-12 weeks. This cheese has a bloomy rind that has an unmistakable mushroomy aroma accented by flavors of toasted nuts and sauteed cabbage. Enjoy both the sake and cheese at room temperature for a melt-in-your-mouth pairing.