Fall is around the corner and with fall comes pumpkin spice. We always find ourselves looking forward to all of the pumpkin spice goodies that fall provides, but did you know that there is a scientific explanation for that?
While Starbucks is often given the credit for the pumpkin spice popularity, pumpkin pie spices have been a big deal for some time and this phenomenon predates the coffee giant. The good folks at Better Homes and Gardens have done some research on the history of pumpkin spice.
According to them, the spices were first derived from Southeast Asian islands. Nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, cloves, and ginger were all found in this location, which is adjacent to Indonesia. By the time the late 1700s rolled around, Americans were acquainted with the spices.
It was not long before pumpkin spice became a commonly used ingredient in a number of recipes for pumpkin pie. These blends do not actually contain any real pumpkin, though. That does not matter to the vast majority of us. Despite all of this, we still associate this spice with the actual pumpkins. That’s why it is so easy to correlate pumpkin spice with the fall season.
According to Fox News, one psychologist claims this simple link that we make is responsible for its enduring popularity. Matt Johnson is the psychologist who has made this correlation. “The flavor is just so closely tied to the arrival of fall and the nostalgic, wholesome vibes of both family and the leaves changing,” he said.
The medial temporal lobes are responsible for the connection between the two. The connection may also have been furthered by all of the advertising that takes place during the fall.
Our minds automatically associate pumpkin spice with a wide range of fall activities. Whether you associate pumpkin spice with the fall season or not, there is no denying that there is a strong connection.
Where do you stand on pumpkin spice? Are you super excited about the seasonal change or do you wish summer could be a bit longer? As for us, we love fall, we just hate how short it is. By the time we are finally able to take our air conditioners out of the window, it seems like winter is already here.