You know it, you love it and you can finally enjoy it again. Pumpkin spice season is back and better than ever.
The coffee flavor has no doubt taken the world by storm. Anticipation consumes the mind of any Starbucks regular every year. The autumnal season isn't marked by Sept. 23, which is the date of the fall equinox. Let's not fool ourselves: fall is really marked by the return of the infamous pumpkin spice flavor.
To understand why pumpkin spice is so popular, one should consider its history and rise to fame.
Take a guess at when you think the flavor was first invented. Some may say around 2014 in peak Tumblr era when infinity scarves and sock buns were all the rage. Others could argue it was a bit further back to 2003 when Starbucks originally began using the pumpkin flavor in their coffee.
To understand when pumpkin spice was invented, it's important to understand its ingredients. Most types of pumpkin spice include cinnamon, ginger, cloves and, most importantly, nutmeg.
One of the Banda Islands of Indonesia, Pulau Ay, is considered a "Spice Island" because it was the only place that nutmeg was known to grow. The earliest trace comes from about 3,500 years ago. When the Dutch took control of the islands in the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company spread spices throughout the world and to the British colonies.
Eventually, the first official recipe for pumpkin spice surfaced in 1796 when a woman named Amelia Simmons created the recipe and released it in the first American cookbook calling it "Pumpkin Pie Spice."
Pumpkin Pie Spice was created as a way to get all necessary flavors for a pumpkin pie, while — ironically — not including any real pumpkin. Pumpkin spice has literal centuries of heritage and depth. No doubt, Simmons would be proud of the cult following her concept has acquired.
In the early 1990s, people began to use the blend in coffee. The rest is history.
Now that the history of pumpkin spice is clear, it seems easier to understand the nostalgia that surrounds it. Whether you enjoy it with your coffee, candles, baked goods or just the smell alone, it has evolved and gained popularity in ways that no one could have predicted.
Opinions on it are multifarious, but the greatness of pumpkin spice cannot be denied — especially in its peak season.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
