‘Tis the season … for pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice everything. This is the time of year when America turns into one big pumpkin spice flavored air freshener. As our nation dangles precariously from the globe’s rearview mirror, wafting vegetable flavored scent into the universe, it seems appropriate to dig a little deeper into this flavor that defines the season.
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We all know what pumpkin spice tastes like. We’ve all been exposed to this viral flavor, probably on a daily basis.
Pumpkin spice is much more than some flavor to squirt into lattes for a couple of months each year. It’s the epitome of fall, a flavor that defines a season, and as such it demands a thorough analysis.
I quickly realized I am not qualified to go into this topic to the depth it deserves. Instead I contacted an expert source, a barista. Besides happening to be my roommate Joshua Courtney is an intrepid soul who spends his days this time of year mixing pumpkin spice lattes for the hordes of students wishing for a taste of the season.
He started dropping chewy nuggets of wisdom right at the beginning.
“I think that pumpkin itself is pure, but as soon as coffee shops turn it into a drink and add coffee to it … it twists it into something that is idolized,” Courtney said.
In his opinion, it becomes something for shops and customers to “hype and talk about.” He went on to say pumpkin spice is for people who “can’t live with just coffee, they need something more.” In fact, he believes pumpkin spice is “a crutch for those who cannot take their coffee straight.”
He went so far to say the urge to drink pumpkin spice can come from a cultural pressure to be part of “the One, the One that enjoys pumpkin spice.” I realize these are harsh words that could cause offense to some so I went looking for another side of the story.
I found it with my other roommate, Jake Kline, who was enjoying a home baked pumpkin spice bar.
“The great oneness of pumpkin spice brings all of us together, under the great web of spicedom,” Kline said.
He went on to argue pumpkin spice is an integral part of the season that must be valued and treasured. He said pumpkin spice is not a sign of weakness, rather it is an indication of a interesting, varied and “spiced” life.
Unfortunately, at this point my source derailed the interview as he went on to compare pumpkin spice to crack cocaine and then dove deep into an analogy that ultimately lead to the book “Dune.”
Regardless of your personal beliefs, pumpkin spice is inarguably here to stay. This fall flavor defines our collective tastes as a nation for several months each year. Is it a symbol of individual weakness or a sign of an interesting life? You decide.
Cy Whitling can be reached at [email protected]