Pumpkin Spice Waffling
"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion." —Henry David Thoreau
My Dear Readers can attest to almost two decade's worth of Autumnal waffling on this topic. Today is different: I plan to waffle on about pumpkin spice.
You see, it's the best time of year to grab as much of the stuff as humanly possible. The market is currently drowning us with "pumpkin spiced" products.
I confess to buying some of it. However, for me, it's all about "less spice, more squash
please". I look for something that doesn't overpower the senses. Others prefer the full-bodied taste of a burning pumpkin pie filled with way too much allspice. To each their own.
(Check out Dave Schilling's opinion piece, "Pumpkin spice drinks are gross – but they are sweet reminders of mortality", for some pumpkin spiced humor.)
America obviously loves the scent and taste of pumpkin spice. I really don't expect to find the same weirdness overseas. It's possible that some of our inane Autumn has spread to the rest of the world.
Now I'm curious. Has the Pumpkin Spiced virus actually spread to other nations? Are we tracking PMKN-Spice22 variants? Will they allow their senses to succumb to the prevalent scent?
Perhaps not. People overseas eat pumpkin pie. They would probably wag a finger and tell us, "Too much of anything can be bad for you. Why are you so fanatical about pumpkin spice?"
A fellow Autumn aficionado sent a link to Aimee Levitt's article on pumpkin spice (The Guardian 27 Sep 2022). She nails America's insanity.
Dog treats, deodorant, Spam: why does America sell 138,000 pumpkin spice things?
Pumpkin spice season, which officially began the last Tuesday of August when Starbucks released its fall drinks menu, is not the same as fall. It’s more about the idea of fall.
During pumpkin spice season, there are no cold rainy days, or uncomfortable family gatherings. Instead, all is crisp air, fuzzy sweaters, leaf piles, college football, bonfires, Taylor Swift albums and an overwhelming feeling of coziness. Scandinavians have hygge; Americans have pumpkin spice.
It’s such a lovely idea that other coffee shops and grocery stores, in a quest to beat Starbucks at its own game, have started rolling out their pumpkin spice products earlier and earlier in August. The 7-Eleven pumpkin spice latte launched this year on 5 August, which, in the northern hemisphere, is still indisputably summer.
Increasingly unlikely and downright gross products now offer pumpkin spice options, including bone broth protein, deodorant and poppers. There’s nothing that can’t be pumpkined.
Levitt's opinion echos my own. It is really is the idea (or ideal!) of Autumn. It's a season that I look forward to embracing year after year.
The pumpkin spice odor can not compete with the earthy perfume kicked up while walking through dead leaves. It complements the vivid Autumn hues outside our window. It resurrects memories of holidays past.
Sadly, the pumpkinization will continue. Our senses are overloaded with this scent. Too much of anything can be bad for us....
So here I sit, flanked by a massive coffee mug flavored with Chobani Pumpkin Spice creamer, and try my hardest to remember where I put the Candle-Lite Pumpkin Nutmeg Pie candles from last year. I bought them in bulk, you see. I'll go downstairs this evening to partake in a bowl of Pumpkin Spice Cheerios. I might give our dogs their favorite treat: BLUE Health Bars with Pumpkin and Cinnamon. Maybe I'll work on a review of Glade Pumpkin Spice Things Up room spray vs. Febreze AIR Pumpkin Patch.
...I wonder if they make pumpkin spice toilet paper.
I still miss being able to decorate for each season.
BANNER IMAGE CREDIT: Wallpaper Flare