Why Is Pumpkin Spice Such A Seasonal Phenomenon?

First of all, pumpkins have constituents that can be unpredictable and fickle. This is why pumpkin pies are not made with carving pumpkins; instead, the filling is made with a sweet squash that is less fibrous and watery. The spices are usually cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove or allspice, and they naturally contain approximately 340 flavor compounds.

The vast number of compounds makes it difficult to create flavor consistency, especially when dealing with large-scale production. So when it comes to making pumpkin spice flavoring, it is these spices that are distilled with steam or extracted with solvents.

Then the Maillard reaction is used; it’s a chemical reaction between amino acids (think proteins) that reduces sugars. It is this process that browns foods and gives them their flavor. This is basically how caramelization occurs and is fundamental to the formation of color in food products, such as pumpkin spice foods. 

This process, plus the addition of sugar, improves taste by increasing or decreasing certain flavors in food, provides bulk that can contribute to mouthfeel and texture, and extends shelf life. This is a case when synthetic chemistry copies nature’s.

Now whether this nostalgia can lead to overeating is another thing. Nostalgia hasn’t been linked to binging. However, emotional eating has. If you are grabbing a pumpkin spice latte after a particularly stressful day, you should be aware you may drown your feelings in its warm soft blanket of good memories via taste and smell.

“Stress tricks the mind into engaging in ‘neck-up eating.’ That is eating to satisfy emotions, not real physical hunger,” says Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., director of transformational coaching at Premier Fitness Camp at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. “Fifty to 60 percent of women, for example, engage in ‘neck- up’ or emotional eating—not because they are hungry. The reward response in the brain is diminished due to stressful feelings, and this leads to overeating.”

So before you reach for that pumpkin spice late, pumpkin spice donut or even pumpkin spice popcorn, think about why you’re doing. If it is for the taste, enjoy! If you’re looking to feel better after a rough day, proceed with caution.