Pumping Pumpkin

“Pumpkin spice latte, please. I want it freezing though.”

By Yoni Adorsky 

Every year, sometime around mid to late August, grocery stores, coffee shops and food brands shift their focus to one flavor: pumpkin. Even before summer is over, people all over the country become fixated on pumpkin spice lattes, cinnamon rolls and apple pie. Nothing else seems to matter, and people will throw their money at baristas to get their fall-spiced fix. 

But who does pumpkin season best? And, perhaps more importantly, where does this obsession even come from?

Let us begin with what I’d call the holy grails of fall flavors: Starbucks and Trader Joe’s. 

Everyone knows Starbucks for its signature fall beverages—like the Pumpkin Spice Latte and Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai—as well as their pumpkin and apple inspired pastries. Trader Joe’s really goes crazy with the snacks; their Pumpkin Spiced Teeny Tiny Pretzels (fabulous), maple leaf cookies, butternut squash mac & cheese and apple cider donuts fill shoppers’ carts as if no other foods exist from September to November. 

As a frequent consumer of both Starbucks and Trader Joe’s myself, I have to say that in terms of fall foods, it’s really difficult to top these brands. My personal recommendations from these brands are the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew from Starbucks, and from Trader Joe’s: the Salted Maple Ice Cream and pumpkin brioche. 

Analyzing the origin of this pumpkin craze is very complex. I think an appropriate starting point, I think, is back in 2003, when Starbucks first introduced the idea of a pumpkin spice latte. The brand created the drink in early 2003, after a winter season during which their new Christmas-inspired drinks sold exceptionally well. 

Naturally, Starbucks waited until the fall of 2003 to start selling the pumpkin spice latte, and it really changed the world—I’m not exaggerating. Could you imagine a fall season where PSLs weren’t a thing? I certainly can’t, even though they are not my first choice when it comes to fall drinks. Even if you have never had one, the pumpkin spice latte remains an ever-present figure in the food and beverage industry in the later months each year.

Of course, Starbucks didn’t invent the association between pumpkins and fall. The large orange squashes have long been connected to the season, especially with holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. But, you cannot deny that Starbucks certainly amplified the importance and influence of pumpkin, making it an everlasting symbol of autumn and the holiday season. 

This is where I believe the pumpkin craze comes from. People feel the first chill in the air, see the first leaf turn from green to yellow, and suddenly feel the urge to put on a sweater and sip on a delightful seasonal coffee. 

It won’t last forever, though: before you know it, we’ll start to see snow here on campus, so go ahead and treat yourself to some tasty fall treats in the meantime.