Pumpkin Spice Season
Happy 20th Anniversary to the PSL
Let me just start off and say I’ve been working on the flavor advent calendar and I could not be MORE excited to share it with you!!! As a friendly reminder, all paid subscribers are going to receive a daily flavor deep dive for the first 12 days of December… Get your tastebuds ready.
Pumpkin spice(s): cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger (and the optional allspice)
It’s always around this time of year that I get nostalgic for America. I want to run to Trader Joe’s and eat random pumpkin spice snacks that the spice blend has NO need to be a part of. I am 150% here for it - I mean, do you know what I look like? Are you even surprised??
Some of my favorite pumpkin spice items have to include the TJs O’s and the sugar glazed cookies (also known as the pink and white ones during the year), Califia Farms PSL, NutPods creamer, Whole Foods 365 Pumpkin Spice ice cream bars... When in Paris (don’t ask me why but the Starbucks PSL there is just GREAT), I always get an almond milk cappuccino with one pump of pumpkin. It’s my favorite pumpkin spice beverage because the blend of the spices matches so well with the almond milk and it’s not too sweet since it’s just one pump. JUST A COZY BEV I LOVE OKAY?! Try it and let me know your thoughts.
Wait, where was I? Oh right, let's talk pumpkin spice history.
Where Does Pumpkin Spice Come From?
Have you ever wondered where the spice blend comes from? It’s a fall seasonal classic but not many know its origins. All four main ingredients - cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger - are from Asian territories so how did they make their way to America? And how did their blend become such a symbolic autumnal flavor?
These key ingredients are native to the Banda Islands, also called the Spice Islands, in Indonesia. In the 1300s, Europeans colonizers began traveling to these islands and bringing back spices to their homeland. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger became absolute European delicacies as they had been unheard of and untasted until that point. They were rare and thus were extremely expensive.
As time went on and colonists began taking over more territories and promoting more trade, spices became cheaper and more accessible.
But how did this Asian spice blend get to America and become a fall fixture?
Pumpkin Spice in the New World
There is no pumpkin in pumpkin spice - there are just the key warming spices that pair perfectly with pumpkin.
When these spices became more commonplace they began being integrated in common culturally specific dishes. For example, in England, cinnamon and nutmeg were used in blood pudding and mince pies. When the Pilgrims arrived to America, they brought these spices with them. Instead of adding them to blood pudding and mince, they added them to pumpkin.
Pumpkin is considered both a squash and a gourd (edible and ornamental) and is native to Northern Mexico and the Southernmost part of the United States. As you may recall from history class or Thanksgiving media, Pilgrims and Native Americans are often shown around a table of local ingredients which always include the mighty pumpkin.
Pumpkin Spice’s First Cookbook Feature
In 1796, the first cookbook was published in the United States. American Cookery by Amelia Simmons was an iconic flavor pairing cookbook. It shared not only recipes, but also dish suggestions alongside said recipes that would pair well together. In this book, Simmons shared a unique recipe for a pumpkin pie with a spice blend that included allspice in the mix - the first of its kind!
Shortly after, this deliciously cozy blend of Asian spices (minus allspice which comes from the West Indies) became known as pumpkin “pie” spice.
The Pumpkin Spice LATTE
A marketing machine.
The almighty PSL was invented in 2003 at Starbucks HQ’s liquid lab. After a successful season of peppermint mocha, the development team needed a new brainchild for the following season. This highly caffeinated group of coffee aficionados tried over 100 espresso-based combinations without any exciting new discoveries. Finally, towards the end of their testing, the development team poured espresso shots on top of pumpkin pies…
Low and behold the coffee soaked pumpkin pie coffee tasted delicious? Kind of like a pumpkin affogato ? Pumpkinmisu? It just worked.
Flash-forward another 8 years and the development team added actual pumpkin to the PSL in 2013, not just the spices. Another fun factoid is that the PSL was nearly called the Fall Harvest Latte… what could’ve been.
Ending Cozy Thoughts
It has now been 20 years since the Pumpkin Spice Latte has been on the market. It wasn’t until the PSL that the spice blend was widespread in supermarkets or used for anything other than to enhance a pumpkin’s flavor. Before Starbucks’ creation, you would’ve only found the blend in a spice mix or in a make-your-own pumpkin pie type situation.
Pumpkin Spice Recipe
If you’re not in America - have no fear, you can easily mix this blend up at home! Here are my ideal ingredients, ratios and pairing suggestions: