Many of us will eat plenty of cheese this holiday season. Though cheese isn’t a traditional Japanese food, sake actually makes an excellent pairing with all sorts of cheeses, especially considering the wide diversity of sake. The strong umami flavor of sake is a major reason why it pairs nicely with cheese, but it’s far from the only reason. Experiment with sake and cheese pairings to find what you like best. Here are a few that I’ve found to be particularly enjoyable.