🍂🎃 Spice, Spice Baby! The Favorite Flavor of Pumpkin Spice 🎃🍂

While today it seems like pumpkin spice has become synonymous with fall, its history is a rich and fascinating tale that spans centuries and continents! Join us on a spiced journey through time as we explore the origins and evolution of the season’s most popular flavor: Pumpkin Spice.

Pumpkin spice may feel quintessentially American, but its roots stretch back to ancient civilizations. The first spices we associate with pumpkin spice—cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg—were highly prized in the ancient world. Cinnamon, for example, was traded along the Silk Road and valued as a luxurious commodity in Europe.

The Middle East played a significant role in the development of pumpkin spice. The blend of spices we know today was influenced by Arabic cuisine, which combined spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in various dishes. These spices were brought to Europe during the Middle Ages, where they became integral to both savory and sweet recipes.

Pumpkin spice, as we recognize it today, became firmly entrenched in American culture during the colonial period. Pumpkins were a staple crop in early American agriculture, and colonists adapted their use of spices to complement this native ingredient. Pumpkin pies seasoned with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg became a favorite dessert in New England.

As the Industrial Revolution brought advances in food processing and transportation, spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg became more accessible to the masses. Pumpkin spice blends began to appear in cookbooks and store shelves, making it easier for people to replicate the flavors of homemade pumpkin pies. And now today, it’s hard to not notice the take-over of Pumpkin Spice throughout the Fall season. Even at Lolli & Pops we spread bits of Pumpkin Spice! Check out our favorites: Pumpkin Spice flavored Crispy Cake and Pumpkin Spice Popcorn!