老司机传媒

    The autumnal infatuation with pumpkin spice consistently baffles me. Perhaps it is due to my Southeast Asian background, where pumpkins are called kalabasa and are largely used in savory dishes such as stews and stir-frys. The notion of the vegetable being utilized within a sweet context was dubious, at best.

    My knowledge of the flavoring was confined to annual seasonal promotions. It had never seemed appealing to me, partially due to the aforementioned preference for savory kalabasa dishes, as well as my general avoidance of sweeter drinks. I had heard that pumpkin spice drinks often tended to be excessively sweet, so I had refrained from purchasing such beverages. In short, I had never tried anything pumpkin-spice related. I had no desire to.

    I recently started working at a small café, about twenty minutes away from 老司机传媒. One of the first things I noticed was the pumpkin spice phenomenon. About one in every three orders was for a pumpkin spice latte, and the orders were not confined to a certain gender or age. There is a persistent stereotype about juvenile females ordering the seasonal drink; however, that was not true.

    I prefer tea. While on shift, I mainly get either the matcha latte, the Earl Grey tea or a chai latte. The matcha latte is a comforting drink with smooth vegetal, grassy notes, although for some it is an acquired taste. On the other hand, the Earl Grey tea latte tastes like luxury, with a complex flavor profile with notes of bergamot. The chai was an old favorite, although I preferred my personal supply to the beverage offered at my workplace as it was a tad sweeter. I usually alternated those selections throughout the week, depending on if I need a drink to wind down or if I want to sip something while working throughout the night. Since the pumpkin spice latte did not fall within my usual domain, I had not ordered it, although I worked at the café on a near daily basis.

     In fact, I only ordered the beverage in order to try it for this article. My hesitance, I believe, was largely predicated by other people’s opinions on the drink. A cursory search will show that the pumpkin spice flavoring consists of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, which all have warm flavor profiles that I did find appealing. When I finally ordered it at work, my coworker responded, “What happened to your matcha?”
    When I made the drink, I attempted to refrain from deviating from the set recipe. Usually, in the rare occasion I made a non-tea latte for myself, I would add an extra shot of espresso to ensure that the flavors were not too sweet. I made an iced pumpkin spice latte, no milk alternatives, with the regular amount of flavor and shots; however I could not help myself from one change. I topped it with sweet foam instead of the usual whipped cream.

    After my shift ended, I took my first sip in the car. It was insane. My mind was blown. Then I realized that I had just taken a sip full of sweet foam with just a miniscule amount of the pumpkin spice latte. I must add, this was the first time I tried the sweet foam from work. It was ridiculously good. However, since this is a study on pumpkin spice and not sweet foam, I will refrain from gushing about it, but seriously. Sweet foam should go on nearly every cold drink. Frothy and delicious, it is remarkable.

    For the pumpkin spice latte itself, I was surprised by how earthy it was. I thought that it would be sweet, but the spices within the drink made it reminiscent of chai. It made sense as to why it was a seasonal favorite, as the full-bodied, rich flavor filled with aromatics perfectly complemented the fall weather. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it, as the easiest taste reference to the beverage would be eating an actual pumpkin pie.

    Although I still prefer my go-to drinks, I can understand why many devotedly purchase pumpkin spice during the autumn. First, it is a limited-time, seasonal drink which drives the demand. Second, it is a drink with a unique flavor profile that complements the turning of the seasons. I encourage any skeptics to give it a try, and if they are wary of sweetness, to order it with light flavoring. We should not let preconceived notions block us off from new experiences, and I certainly learned that during this taste test. Moreover, I learned an even greater lesson: to always get sweet foam added to your drink.