What’s the deal with pumpkin spice? I’ve seen a few memes about it. But online all I can find is that it’s some kind of beverage.
Many years ago, Starbucks introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte in the US. It became a weird cultural phenomenon. Every year there is a release day, when it’s made available for the season. It was a huge thing on social media. Other companies started adding Pumpkin Spice to their things (from cookies, breakfast cereals, beer, etc).
It’s become a joke at this point, though lots of things still have Pumpkin Spice versions.
An American thing. Apparently it is actually pumpkin seed flavoured. They rarely eat pumpkin, calling it “squash”, and renaming squash to something else (summer squash or something?) Anyhow, they can traditionally only get the flavouring at one time of the year, their relevant harvest festival, and so scarcity breeds obsession.
It is even more bizarre from the viewpoint of the southern hemisphere, where spring has sprung, and our delicious pumpkins are available year round anyhow.
They rarely eat pumpkin, calling it “squash”, and renaming squash to something else (summer squash or something?)
Admittedly, I and probably 70% of other Americans were formerly unaware that pumpkins are a variety of squash, making this paragraph surprisingly difficult for me to even parse. So that was an interesting and kind of fun experience.
If it helps, I have come to realize after thinking about it that I see any roundish variety, regardless of smoothness or color, as a pumpkin, regardless of its actual name. If it’s gourd-shaped (butternut/zucchini), it’s a squash.
The flavor is seasonal and therefore novel, you’re right about that. But tbf, indian food uses squash in general, which seems to extend to white/orange pumpkins, and we definitely have Indian-Americans. Ditto Hispanic. It is eaten more often, just not by white people.
For the useless naming difference, as always, any beef with America can more factually be blamed on the Europeans. Specifically, the French.
Like Margot said, it’s the spices used for pumpkin pie. There’s a relative flavor you see sometimes that’s full pumpkin pie flavor, which I prefer. It’s more well rounded. Pumpkin spice has, over the last decade probably, fully taken over fall drink flavors. It started with Starbucks lattes, spread to other cafés. Now it’s in everything. It has fully taken over the fall beer flavors I think, overtaking Oktoberfest styles.
What’s wrong with liking pumpkin spice? It’s cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and it tastes good in coffee. (Although, probably wouldn’t taste good in a screwdriver.)
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with pumpkin spice. It’s been around for hundreds of years, and is delicious. This is referencing the cultural phenomenon that is Pumpkin Spice that is put in everything.
I think “bacon flavored” is more appropriate in this scenario, because I really haven’t seen pumpkin spice flavor outside of coffee, candy and pastry, whereas a few years ago you can buy bacon flavored gum, ice cream, popcorn, candy, soda, vodka, perfume… etc that it became completely absurd.
@MargotRobbie @negativenull the bacon thing has been over for a while, hasn’t it?
pumpkin spice gum
pumpkin spice ice cream
pumpkin spice popcorn
pumpkin spice candy
pumpkin spice soda
pumpkin spice vodka
pumpkin spice perfume
It’s a very similar cultural trajectory than bacon was years before. It’ll last longer too since it makes more sense than “bacon flavored” does.
I’ve seen far too many pumpkin spiced beer. Pumpkin pie flavor is often better, but still not my thing and too common this time of year. I have no issue with pumpkin spice as a flavor, but I don’t want it to take the place of other flavors, which it has to because taps are limited.
Interesting. What sorts of things is pumpkin spice being put into besides the typical lattes / baked goods? I ask because I really enjoy pumpkin spice.
Wow, how did he get it to not leak?
By the look of it, black clay. Never understood why they don’t just put the skull upside down.
“There is always a relevant Oglaf” is a little-known relative of the Internet Rule “there is always a relevant XKCD”. Also, link the author of the stuff you post, it’s better manners.
It is, but Oglaf kinda brings it on itself by not having any author credit embedded in the comic images and not having an easily searchable archive on their site that I can find. Nothing was cut out from the original comic.
Worf is best dad, confirmed.
Non native English speaker here. So I get that a screwdriver is vodka + orange juice. And I get he is drinking it out of Phillips skull. Still don’t get the punchline.
Thanks, never heard that name before. In my mother tongue it goes by the simple name of ‘Kreuzschlitzschraubendreher’ and that is no joke.
and that name actually makes sense, like EVERYTHING in Deutsch! because it is a ‘Cross Slotted Screwdriver’… in English American, we venerate Mr. Phillips every single day, amen… whoever he was…
I recently learned of the existence of Frearson; like the Philips but without the slightly rounded inside corners.
