Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice
By Alyce Goldman
If you are a fan of pumpkin spice, either as a flavor or smell, then you might be curious how this spice flavor has become so popular. In 1934, the McCormick Spice Company started marketing a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice for pumpkin pie making.
In the 1990s, pumpkin spice coffee was introduced, which prompted Starbucks to introduce the pumpkin spice latte in 2003. That seemed to really start the pumpkin rolling, and today you can find an endless selection of pumpkin spice items around in fall.
The pumpkin is the oldest domesticated plant in the new world and has been grown in North America for thousands of years. It saved the early settlers from starving after their European crops failed. The Native Americans introduced them to the many uses of pumpkins. It became a staple food for them and even inspired a Pilgrim poem.
“We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon, If it were not for pumpkins we should be undoon.”
The compliment of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves are all warm spices and go hand in hand with the cooling temperatures of fall. It “feeds” our nostalgia of falling leaves, cool nights, warm sweaters, and yes, decorating with pumpkins.
For all the products offering this specific flavor, more actual pumpkins are purchased for decorating than for eating!