The world is filled with delicious cheeses. Today, as we all sit down at our dinner tables overloaded with heartwarming comfort foods, we give thanks to our family, our friends, our jobs, and our health. Well, we here at culture are extremely thankful, too— and this holiday season we’re showing our appreciation for the special cheeses in our lives.

To Parmigiano-Reggiano,

Photo via Parmigiano Reggiano

Thank you for having the same genuine and salty flavor over the centuries, allowing us to sprinkle the same cheese over our pasta (and pizza and popcorn and on and on) that our foremothers and forefathers were grating long ago.

To Mozzarella,

Photo via Compfight

Thank you for melting so beautifully over every dish. Pizza would not be the same without you. Thank you for being such a pal to buddy up with tomatoes in one of the best flavor combinations in the history of humankind.

To Smoked Cheeses,

Photo via Thornico

Thank you for making every bite feel like a barbecue, especially during the colder months when our grills are buried under a good heap of snow.

To Cheddar,

Photo via Energy on Wisconsin

Thank you for being an all-around gregarious guy, shifting your sharpness so we all can enjoy your hard-earned flavor, no matter the strength of our tastebuds.

To Camembert,

Photo via Tyrophile

Thank you for warning us of your presence a mile away. Though we may wrinkle our noses at the smell of you, we love your deliciously rich taste and the gooeyness of your paste.

To Goat Cheese,

Photo via Relish Me

Thank you for your tart tanginess, which no other cheese can precisely replicate. And thank you for crumbling so beautifully and artistically all over our plates.

And Blue Cheese, you ol’ whipper-snapper,

Photo via Canadian Cheese Man

Thank you for your colorful veins and rich, bold flavor. A lot of us may have initially recoiled at what we thought was your agressive taste, but really, you were just being yourself. And thank you for helping out our palates when we’ve taken on too much hot sauce and need a cool refresher (buffalo wings owe you an eternal debt of gratitude).

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Jamie Ditaranto

Jamie Ditaranto is a senior at Emerson College and an online editorial intern for culture, who enjoys writing, photography, and travel. She finds a way to sneak cheese into just about every meal and is a sucker for free samples.