National Cheese Lover's Day: For the Love of Cheese

If there is one food the world is consistently gaga over, it's cheese. Did you know the average American consumes around 31 pounds of cheese per year? Surely, it comes as no shock that the French eat a whopping 50 pounds. The magical food can go into just about any dish: from desserts to appetizers and entrees to salads.

It's National Cheese Lover's Day and that means everyone, vegans aside, should bust out the cheese platters or whip up your best concoction. Pour a glass of wine and kick your feet up. Since it's a holiday, we feel there is no need to skimp. Try collecting different cheeses such as fresh, soft, semi-soft, hard or semi-hard for a well-rounded assortment.

If you are in the mood for a warm, buttery, soul-soothing mac and cheese, go for it! Or if you want to try something a bit different, try a creamy baked brie puff accompanied with tangy, baked sliced granny smith apples or a hearty lasagna cut with mounds of fresh, thick ricotta and mozzarella.

It's speculated that cheese has been around for almost 8,000 years, and quite frankly, we're so appreciative for it. Rich and decadent, sweet, salty, savory, herbaceous, sharp or peppery, cheese hits just about every single taste in the flavor spectrum.

We clink our glasses to this day and the food that packs so much passion into our lives! Check out our video slideshow above to view a compilation of all things cheese!