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What seems to be a simple blend of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves reveals something profound about American culture and our history. 

In 1796, Amelia Simmons published “American Cookery,” one of the earliest cookbooks that can truly be categorized as authentically and uniquely American. Published only 20 years after the Declaration of Independence was written and eight years after the ratification of the Constitution, American Cookery encapsulates the birth of American cuisine. And what is included in it? A recipe for “Pompkin,” including a blend of mace, nutmeg, and ginger. Pumpkin spice or pumpkin pie spice is referenced again throughout the 19th century in cookbooks such as “Smiley’s Cookbook,” “Universal Household Guide,” and “The Original Boston Cooking-School Cookbook.”

Simply put, pumpkin spice is intangibly and inextricably linked to America. There is an idea that it has become overly commodified, particularly due to the obsession so many have with the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte — a genuinely good drink. If it is overly commodified, it may be the most innocuous commodification to come out of corporate America. The flavors and aroma of pumpkin spice are not damaging to the soul, in the way that so many consumer goods are, but instead bring back memories of friends and family gathering during the holidays. 

All this is said without regard to the taste of pumpkin spice. It may lack its titular ingredient, but the combination of flavors evokes leaves changing colors, crisp breezes, and sweaters. While it may be easy to chalk this up to clever marketing gimmicks on behalf of Starbucks (which makes tens of millions of dollars a year from its pumpkin-themed drinks), there is something about the warming, slightly spicy feel of the ingredients that calls us back to something deeper within the communal psyche of individuals exposed to the Western tradition. 

Hatred of pumpkin spice is an easy countercultural note to hit. It goes against prevailing taste and stirs up debate. Anti-pumpkin spice diatribes often take the tone of incessant wailing about how one has better taste than others. Based purely on the substance, few can disagree with the pleasures of pumpkin spice, but when it provides an outlet to show how authentically different an individual is from the mainstream, people begin to hate on pumpkin spice faster than Usain Bolt in a 200-meter dash. 

Don’t be different for the sake of being different. Pumpkin spice is, quite frankly, as old as America itself. There’s a reason for that.