As everyone knows, it is the season of autumn: jingle bells are haunting, the monsters and Mariah Carey are right around the corner, the weather is getting worse, as are the decorations…
… But within this strange phenomenon called the American Season of Fall, one thing stands above it all: PUMPKIN SPICE!
But what is pumpkin spice? Where did it come from? What’s in it that makes Karens and TikTok girls even crazier than they already are? Why is everything, from cookies to book covers, pumpkin spice themed?!
Well, we begin with the American-Dutch spice trade of the late 1670s where Dutch immigrants controlled a booming market.. This ‘spice’ is made of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and sometimes allspice.
In 1796, Amelia Simmons published the first American cookbook, “American Cookery”, which included a “pompkin pie’ recipe that used, instead of pumpkin, this strange conglomeration of spices.
Fast forward a couple hundred years to 1934. The spice manufacturer McCormick releases a “pumpkin pie spice” blend so Americans can make their traditional pumpkin pies without having to scavenge round for all the individual spices like in the olden days.
While it is unsure who exactly was crazy enough to start spiking their coffee with fancy dirt, by the late 1990s, pumpkin spice coffees were slowly rising in popularity.
And then, in all its main character, it-girl, “we are the Plastics” energy, ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the god of America: STARBUCKS!
In 2003, the highly influential coffee company started experimenting with ways to incorporate pumpkin spice into a seasonal drink. The result: the pumpkin spice latte and a new cult trend.
From September to November, pumpkin spice enters the American market in the form of coffees, candles, baked goods, t-shirts, social media posts, etc. There is even a “pumpkin spice tax” where manufacturers tend to raise prices on products labeled as ‘pumpkin spice’.
In a country with such incredibly different geographical climates that the seasons don’t always follow the traditional pattern ingrained in our heads, it is nice to have a unifying product that reminds everyone living in middle-of-nowhere, Texas that yes, the season really do change; and somewhere, the leaves are turning orange, instead of just brown; and Christmas is near; and if you really want to celebrate the season of fall, there is a pumpkin spice product somewhere for you if you believe in yourself and the spirit of consumer capitalism.