Pumpkin Spice – What the hell is that? Is there any pumpkin in there?

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The leaves are turning red, autumn is so beautiful. Tens of millions of people around the world are definitely looking forward to the clearest sign that summer is over: the return of the pumpkin spice latte in Starbucks locations.

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But what exactly is pumpkin spice?

Well, first of all, we have to be clear that we're talking about two different things here: “pumpkin spice” spice blends and “pumpkin spice latte” coffee drinks. The concept of pumpkin spice has completely changed since the introduction of Starbucks drinks. Food & Wine magazine thus divides history into the “pre-PSL era” and the “post-PSL era” (PSL stands for, of course…yeah, that's right). We're doing the same thing here.

Before PSL, “pumpkin spice” (literally “pumpkin spice”) referred to the typical spice blend used to flavor traditional American pumpkin pie, usually containing cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Spice blends have long been part of American baking tradition. In Amelia Simmons' 1798 cookbook American Cookery, there are two recipes for the spice-rich “Pompkin” cake: one with nutmeg and ginger; Allspice and ginger.

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In the 1930s, spice manufacturers such as McCormick and Thompson & Taylor first introduced “pumpkin pie spice” to the market, a ready-made mixture that eliminated the need for home bakers to purchase and measure individual spices. The version introduced by Thompson & Taylor in 1933 contained nine spices. McCormick's version, launched in 1934, featured cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.

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So pumpkin spice contains without any Pumpkin is just used to flavor pumpkin pie.

For years, this spice mixture has been used for its namesake: pumpkin pie and similar pastries. Exactly when and who decided to add this spice blend to lattes is unclear (obviously it's not supposed to be a Starbucks invention). In fact, the American coffee chain began developing the pumpkin spice latte in January 2003 after successfully launching winter seasonal drinks such as peppermint mocha and eggnog latte. The company experimented with different combinations of spices and real pumpkin before settling on a completely pumpkin-free formula.

In the fall of 2003, the final formula was tested in Vancouver, Canada, and Washington, DC. Sales of the drink exceeded the company's expectations, and the following year the product was sold in all North American Starbucks stores.

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The pumpkin spice latte quickly became Starbucks' most popular seasonal drink and sparked a trend in pumpkin spice products like candles and air fresheners, as well as everything from donuts to breakfast cereals, cough drops and pasta sauce.

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The success also sparked a wave of crazes, much of which hinted at the drink's popularity among white, middle-class women.

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Then in August 2015, Starbucks changed the recipe, adding real pumpkin for the first time and removing artificial colors. The change appears to be simply an attempt to satisfy customers' desire to see real pumpkin in the ingredients list of products with “pumpkin” in the name. The ingredient list now includes “Pumpkin Pie Flavored Syrup,” which includes sugar, skim condensed milk, pumpkin puree (aha—there it is!), colors, and preservatives. According to the Association of Food Technologists, the 2015 recipe changes were imperceptible to the human palate.

pumpkin spice latte So it actually contains pumpkin. A little bit. Because it contains “Pumpkin Pie Flavored Syrup,” which contains pumpkin puree made from pumpkin.

Can you make your own pumpkin spice latte? Well, you can actually make chai at home with individual spices, but it tastes more like the typical Indian chai, which is sweetened milk tea with spices. PSL is said to taste similar to pumpkin pie – the flavor of spices back Bake and combine with the other ingredients of the cake.

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Here's a copycat version from food.com:

raw material:

Prepare: