Few flavors capture fall quite like pumpkin spice. As leaves turn and temperatures drop, this iconic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and other warm spices returns to everything from lattes and baked goods to cereals and creamers. Real sugar plays an important role in making this aromatic wonder into tasty seasonal favorites, balancing the bold spice blend and creating the familiar taste that has come to define autumn.
Pumpkin Spice Roots
The American love for pumpkin dates back to the nation’s colonial era, according to the Library of Congress. In 1655, an early landowner wrote that English colonists “like pumpkins very much and use them also in pies and know how to make a beverage from them.” Recipes for “pompkin” pies in Amelia Simmons’ 1798 cookbook American Cookery called for nutmeg, allspice and ginger. “Pumpkin spice” was first introduced and sold as a blend in 1934, when McCormick & Company marketed it as a more convenient way for consumers to bake a perfectly seasoned pie.
From Coffeehouse Trend to Cultural Phenomenon
Pumpkin spice gained widespread appeal after Starbucks launched its Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003, helping transform a seasonal flavor into a cultural phenomenon. The beverage, featuring espresso, pumpkin spice sauce, steamed milk and a whipped cream topping, has become the chain’s most popular seasonal beverage.
Today, pumpkin spice extends far beyond lattes into baked goods, including pumpkin whoopie pies and pumpkin bread, and can even be used as a dry rub for meat. Real sugar steps in to help make these distinctive flavors more palatable. The intense taste of spices such as cinnamon, clove and nutmeg can be perceived as woody or astringent on their own, but sugar balances those characteristics to create a more enjoyable flavor experience. In pumpkin spice lattes, sugar offsets the strong bitterness of espresso while working with milk and other ingredients to create the drink’s smooth texture and even flavor distribution. Brown sugar also complements pumpkin spice, black pepper and cayenne in savory applications such as a dry rub for pulled pork.
Pumpkin spice is indisputably the star of the fall season. However, real sugar helps set the stage by balancing the bold spices and creating familiar flavors that will keep pumpkin spice a favorite for seasons to come.
