Fall officially hits the calendar on Sunday, September 22. But the smell of pumpkin spice is already redolent in the air. Whether it’s your PSL coffee, your seasonal pancakes and whipped topping, SPAM, or even your dog treats – pumpkin spice is everywhere.

It may seem hard to believe but Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is legal this year.  21 years ago, in a few test markets, the drink that seems to have launched the current pumpkin spice craze was born.

History in the Making

Historians like to dispute that, as they often do. Some say the original pumpkin spice cravings were sparked in America’s first Thanksgiving gathering. The early New England colonists took the pumpkins the Indigenous people introduced them to, hollowed them out and added milk, honey, and spices, baking them in the ashes of their cookfires. That’s when the pumpkin pie was birthed at least.

Some point to McCormick Spices blending together a new pumpkin pie spice mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.

The Gulf Coast of Florida may have to take credit for the coffee, though. Home Roast Coffee in Land O Lakes (near Tampa) appears to be the first time anyone aimed specifically for a pumpkin flavored coffee bean. They’re gone now, but their legacy was picked up by Bones Coffee in Cape Coral, FL. One of their favorite flavored seasonal blends is their Jacked O Lantern.

Flavor Flurry

Before we go too much further, we feel the need to point out one critical thing– most of the “pumpkin spice flavored” goods you see in stores and such lack one key ingredient - pumpkin. Despite selling millions of the drinks, Starbucks didn’t add actual pumpkin puree to their PSL until 2015.

Not sure that’s a selling point. Regardless, the emphasis must be placed on the spice aspect of the flavor. That and the previously unmentioned added ingredient – sugar.

Weirdly enough, both cinnamon and nutmeg have some aphrodisiac qualities to them, which likely heighten the appeal even if you’re not aware of it. And if you are, it’s got to taste better than oysters. Nutmeg has been found to help ease the symptoms of depression, triggering the pleasure chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. Cinnamon helps relax muscles and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks in small doses.  But please be careful of how you take in your cinnamon - the popular TikTok challenge of eating a full spoonful of the spice can be dangerous.

Seasonal Scarcity

Despite the fact that you can find pumpkin spice in almost anything right now – yes, Pumpkin Spice SPAM is real – it is only available for a limited time.

The seasonal nature of its availability is seen by many as an advantage. Fall is nice, but who wants fall all year round? However, psychologists say the fact that it’s only here for a limited time drives many to buy it up as quickly and in as much quantity as they can.

We should also point out that while small doses of pumpkin can help a dog’s digestion, the American Kennel Club says pumpkin spices can do just the opposite. They’re not horribly harmful if not ingested in large quantities, but remember, dogs can’t always judge for themselves. So, buying a box of pumpkin spice dog treats is probably okay, but maybe only one or two a day. And never give your dog coffee.

Some researchers postulate that because pumpkin pie runs so deep into our American roots, that nostalgia may also drive our desire for pumpkin spiced snacks and foods.

One thing we can say for sure – if you love it, you can’t get enough. And if you don’t, well… How do you feel about Peppermint mocha?

Leaves Don’t Fall

Even though we won’t see that much change in the weather in the coming months, autumn is a good time to start thinking about Florida winterizing. We haven’t yet gotten into the big holidays, so now’s the perfect opportunity to make sure your house is bug free before things get too busy.

The first step for our most popular solution – Go Green Perimeter Plus – is for us to inspect your home and make sure all potential entry ways are sealed. That, along with our environmentally and family friendly treatments, ensure spiders, roaches, ants or any other creepy crawlies don’t make your home theirs. For more details, or to schedule your first appointment, please give us a call!