The History of Pumpkin Spice

Leaves are Falling and Pumpkin Spice is Calling!

Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice!

Have you felt a chill in the air? Heard the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet? Recently wanted to pull on a sweater, cuddle up with a hot bowl of soup, and binge watch some scary movies? Well, make no mistake: fall is officially here and the wait for pumpkin spice is over! Everywhere you look there’s limited edition pumpkin spice versions of coffee, cookies and even ramen noodles, but how did this seasonal spice take over autumn?

What is Pumpkin Spice?

Pumpkin spice first appeared over 200 years ago.  A uniquely American baking tradition, pumpkin spice is a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. You can find pumpkin spice in baked goods like sugary pumpkin spice cookies, savory pumpkin spice waffles, and scrumptious pumpkin spice chocolate chip muffins.

The recipe for pumpkin spice. Graphic via mommypotamus.com

Americans’ love affair with pumpkin spice took off in the 1930s when a revolutionary idea came out called pumpkin pie spice, a pre-blended mix that let bakers buy one combined spice instead of several separate spices and then combining them. Despite its name, pumpkin pie spice did not stop at just pies...

How Did Pumpkin Spice Come to Dominate the Fall Season?

If pumpkin spice has been around for so long, why has it only recently become such an iconic part of fall? We can thank our favorite Seattle-based coffee shop for that. Starbucks first released their famous pumpkin spice latte in 2003 and it was an instant hit. However, the success of limited edition pumpkin spice flavored treats was not exclusive to Starbucks, other brands quickly hopped on the bandwagon. You’ll be sure to find tons of foods available with pumpkin spice at your local grocery store, from coffee to cookies to Oreos to Cheerios to mac ‘n cheese to even deodorant and shampoo!

Pumpkin Spice ramen is just one of many seasonal variations.

Why Are Americans Obsessed with Pumpkin Spice?

There are many reasons why Americans can’t get enough pumpkin spice between September and December. The biggest reason is our mental association with pumpkin spice. When you merely think of pumpkin spice (forget smelling or tasting), it conjures images of rustic Americana, cozy times with family and friends, beautiful fall foliage, and the start of the holiday season.

It’s not so much about the taste of pumpkin spice, it’s more about the way pumpkin spice makes us feel. Part of this is due to pumpkin spice’s prevalence in many comfort foods like pies and cookies.  The smell of pumpkin spice warming in the kitchen brings out such strong feelings of nostalgia that we crave it. Dr. John McGann, a sensory neuroscientist at Rutgers University Department of Psychology, explains that the cravings all relate to our olfactory system, or our sense of smell. About 70 percent of our perception of taste is retronasal smell and then maybe 25 percent of it is true taste: salty, bitter, sweet. Basically, smell affects how a food “tastes” more than the actual taste!

Pumpkin spice is the eggnog of the fall and has a cyclical relationship with the season; when you think of eggnog you think of the holiday season, and when you think of pumpkin spice you think of fall.

Timoti’s Pumpkin Spice Dessert Cups are available now, for a limited time only.

Also, people love “limited editions” of their favorite foods. People feel a rush of dopamine when they they treat themselves, let alone when they get the additional chemical pay off of anticipation from limited edition versions of their favorite treats, like Timoti’s pumpkin spice dessert cups!

So, don’t worry: you’re not “basic” for loving pumpkin spice, you’re just human!

Timoti’s

Join us this fall at Timoti’s in Ponte Vedra to enjoy fresh-caught seafood and family fun! Timioti’s offers fresh poke bowls, tacos, fried favorites, refreshing cocktails and, of course, seasonal pumpkin spice treats. Our new Ponte Vedra location also features a playground for kids to play in. Timoti’s also has locations in Fernandina Beach, Five Points, and Amelia Island.