SPICING UP YOUR SEASON Who started this pumpkin spice thing?

SPICING UP YOUR SEASON

Who started this pumpkin spice thing?

Story by Jean Knouse

It was the week before Labor Day when I first saw pumpkin spice cereal at the grocery store. For the umpteenth time, I asked myself, “What is the reason for this love affair with pumpkin spice?”

“Pumpkin,” as a flavor, used to be associated almost exclusively with Thanksgiving. You know, pumpkin bread, pumpkin roll and, of course, pumpkin pie. But, now, in 2022, pumpkin spice is one of the 369 words that has been added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary: (puhmp-kin spais/noun).

According to Cindy Ott, Ph.D., author of “Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon,” the very first Thanksgiving is where this craziness began. After the crops of the earliest pilgrims failed, pumpkins — in one form or another — were said to have been served at the first celebration.

Well, apparently, our nostalgic association with agrarian societies is part of the appeal of the pumpkin. Those farm scenes with thousands of pumpkins in the field have us recalling earlier times with great fondness. That association with gourds and colorful leaves apparently translates to our seasonal tastes as well.

In Europe, pumpkin is enjoyed year-round, but here in the U.S., it has traditionally been a fall flavor — one that used to be “the” flavor of November. Boy, has that changed!

Kookaburracoffeeny.com documents the first test run of Starbucks pumpkin spice latte (PSL) was in 2003 in Vancouver, British Columbia and Washington, D. C.. It was instantly recognized as a “hit” and PSLs became synonymous with the beginning of fall and this crazy love affair with pumpkin and/or pumpkin spice.

You have been able to purchase PSLs in the Valley since Aug. 24, and, now, with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, have you, perhaps, already enjoyed two or three hundred of them?

We all know what a pumpkin is, but what is pumpkin spice? Does it come from pumpkin seeds? According to the website, Yahoo.com/ lifestyle, “The original spice was created in 1934 by McCormick & Company to help home bakers make more flavorful pumpkin pies. The pumpkin pie spice blend is made up of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.” There’s no logical reason to put pumpkin in a cup of coffee,” adds Ott, but that doesn’t explain why Starbucks has sold more than 350 million to date.

Perhaps you already know PSL has its own Twitter feed. It was established in 2014 and it is a verified account, according to the Starbucks website. Perhaps the curiosity about the site has faded: no one has tweeted on the site since 2018.

Okay, PSLs are officially part of the American experience, but who decided we needed pumpkin-spiced pancakes, pumpkin-scented hand cream, pumpkin-spice flavored dental dog treats, pumpkin-spice coffee creamer, pumpkin-spice protein shakes, pumpkin spice CBDs, pumpkin-spiced lip balm and, are you ready, pumpkin-spiced SPAM!?! If you’re addicted to pumpkin-spiced items, stock up now, because, surely, peppermint coffee and all things “peppermint” are about to take over coffee shops and grocery store shelves — if they haven’t already. PA