When you walk outside and feel that chill on your skin, it will make you want to go back inside and grab a sweater.
The seasons are definitely changing. Pull out your fuzzy slippers, throw blankets, bulky clothes, and extra blankets for your bed.
Fall is definitely in the air. Scents like Pumpkin spice and cinnamon bring back wonderful memories of cold nights and seasons shifting away from the heat of summer. Life as we knew it in the summer is almost over, it’s time to put away your bikinis and shorts and prepare to hunker down for winter.
I love watching the birds fly south, sometimes even wishing I could go with them to the warm weather. Thank goodness we live in California where it’s not quite as extreme. Chicago would be a brutal awakening for this California girl.
As the weather cools, the feel of briskness and moisture in the air, the leaves start turning yellow, gold, orange, and brown, the root vegetables are being harvested, and markets are filled with, rows and rows of pumpkins, gourds, and squash.
The storefronts are lined with Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere.
The cinnamon whisks bring in the season with their fantastic scent as you walk through the door of Trader Joe’s.
The shelves are lined with different types of pumpkin-spiced and flavored items.
There are pumpkin-spiced pancakes, muffins, chips, milk, creamer, soups, oatmeal, candy, candles, room spray, and everything you could imagine, including pumpkins.
Did you ever wonder where the pumpkin spice craze came from?
Let me give you a little history.
Native Americans used pumpkins in various dishes, often seasoning them with herbs and spices. The European colonists adopted the use of pumpkins and began to incorporate them into pies, stews, and soups. They used common spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. These spices were also used to preserve fall harvests of meat, fruit, and vegetables.
The first American cookbook written by Amelia Simmons in 1796 included a recipe for Pumpkin pie using these spices.
In 1934 McCormick Spice company added allspice, bottled the combination, and made it official with the name "Pumpkin Pie Spice."
In the 1900's canned pumpkin became widely available making it easier to prepare pumpkin dishes at home.
By the mid-1900's pumpkin pie had become a classic dessert for Thanksgiving celebrations. The spices used in pumpkin pie began to evoke a sense of nostalgia and comfort,
The real "craze" for pumpkin spice started in 2003 when a Starbucks employee introduced the Pumpkin Spiced Latte, PSL.
Peter Dukes, the director of espresso, whose team created other seasonal drinks like the eggnog latte and peppermint mocha, added the spice combination to espresso and steamed milk. It was a hit!
But, It wasn't until 2015 that Starbucks started including real pumpkin in the drink.
The PSL became a seasonal beverage on their menu every fall. It is the most popular seasonal beverage ever.
The company has sold more than 424 million PSL in the U.S. since it's inception.
Many other coffee chains and food retailers have capitalized on the idea, making it one of the most popular flavors for bringing in autumn.
The popularity of pumpkin spice, especially driven by seasonal marketing, shows no signs of fading, and it remains a beloved part of fall traditions in modern-day culture.
Pumpkin spice is a cultural icon.
The pumpkin spice product market is valued at $1.1 billion in 2023! It is estimated to soar to $2.4 billion by 2031!!
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