True stories, all...except for no giant worms were involved. With the white people discovering America, they would then apply the "pumpkin spices" cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and the new American spice, allspice, to the new idea of pumpkin pie. However, while pumpkin pie was probably served at the first Thanksgiving, it wouldn't have had pumpkin pie spice in it.
Over time, people realized that the spice they had been using in other foods, also tasted really good with pumpkin in certain quantities. We see the first reference to using these spices in pumpkin recipes in a cookbook from the 1700s.
Later on the 1950s, as servants fell out of vogue, the new "busy" housewife needed all these new-fangled inventions to keep up with the household. Spice companies started to sell spices premixed for different foods, and one of these was called Pumpkin Pie Spice. And so the name was born.
These days that combination of spices is associated with the taste of pumpkin, even though the spice does not actually contain pumpkin, and pumpkins actually just taste like squash, and the spices were used long before pumpkin was added to it. So the next time some idiot says this:
You can say, "Duh. It shouldn't." A Squash Latte just doesn't sound very appetizing.
It wasn't until the 1990s that Americans would realize that these spices might taste good in coffee. Popularity slowly increased and a spanking new evil corporation decided to try their hand at it. In 2004 Starbuck's designed the Fall Harvest Latte. Then, they wised up and changed the name to the Pumpkin Spice Latte. This shortened version of Pumpkin Pie Spice stuck. Now you can find Pumpkin Spice chips, candles, and fish.
Perhaps we can lay some blame on Starbucks for the recent pumpkin spice craze, but hey, this is nothing new. Compared to the history of the spice trade, this is nothing. So let's take a closer look at the individual spices that make up the pumpkin spice family.
Allspice was the last to join the pantheon of Pumpkin Spice. Native to the Americas, it was one of the first things Columbus brought back to Europe. The name may come from the fact that it does taste like a fine combination of spices in itself. It grows on a evergreen tree in the form of berries. Today it is mostly exported from Jamaica, but many South American countries grow it.
CINNAMON:
Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices in history and everyone has tasted at some point in their life. It might surprise you to know that most of the "cinnamon" we use is actually not cinnamon, but cassia -- a cheaper plant with a similar taste. The spice actually comes from the dried bark of the plant. The majority of cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka and China.
CLOVES:
Cloves are a very strong, woody spice that can be used as a numbing agent. Native to India the part harvested are the unopened buds of the tree. You can find this ground or whole -- the ground usually used in baking and the whole used for mulling.
GINGER:
This root is often used in Chinese medicine and is very good for settling your stomach. For all that, it's has a very strong taste and a burn similar to hot pepper when too much is used. Used in a small amount, ginger rounds out the pumpkin spice with a nice snap.
NUTMEG:
I have saved my favorite for last. While praised for it's medicinal qualities, nutmeg is definitely a drug and should be used with care, especially when pregnant. However, without the snappy, vanilla flavor, pumpkin spice would not be complete. Like the name tells us, the nutmeg is the seed of the plant, and the best way to enjoy nutmeg is freshly ground. Originally from South East Asia it is now grown in the Caribbean and Grenada as well.
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MAKE YOUR OWN PUMPKIN PIE SPICE
I can't do better than Constance Smith's recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice, so head over to her blog and check it out. Also, enjoy her gorgeous photos of spices!
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I hope you've learned a few things about the power of pumpkin spice. Tomorrow, we'll head into some recipes for pumpkin spice as I continue 31 Days of Pumpkin Spice.
Join in the fun on Twitter with your favorite recipes, quips, or (semi)historical facts by using the hashtag #TeamPumpkinSpice
