Pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin pie spice, also known as pumpkin spice, is an American spice mix, named because it is commonly used as a flavoring for pumpkin pie. It does not include pumpkin as an ingredient.
Pumpkin pie spice is similar to the British and Commonwealth mixed spice, and the medieval poudre-douce.[1] It is generally a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice.[2] It can also be used as a seasoning in general cooking.
As of 2016, pumpkin spice consumables produce $500 million in annual sales.[3] The spice is often referred to in the context of a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, with the company selling more than 200 million lattes between its launch and 2013, generating revenue of at least $80 million a year.
History[edit]
Flavour combinations similar to pumpkin spice were known in the medieval period - the 1390s book Le Ménagier de Paris contains a spice mix of 17 parts ginger, 4 parts each cinnamon and sugar, and 2 parts each cloves and grains of paradise. Similar spice mixes were often called 'poudre-douce' or 'sweet powder'.[1]
A "Pompkin" recipe calling for a similar spice mix (mace, nutmeg, and ginger) can be found in the first known published American cookbook, American Cookery, published in 1796 by Amelia Simmons:[4]
Pompkin
No. 1. One quart stewed and strained, 3 pints cream, 9 beaten eggs, sugar, mace, nutmeg and ginger, laid into paste No. 7 or 3, and with a dough spur, cross and chequer it, and baked in dishes three quarters of an hour.
No. 2. One quart of milk, 1 pint pompkin, 4 eggs, molasses, allspice and ginger in a crust, bake 1 hour.
Pumpkin pie spice has been mentioned in cookbooks dating to the 1890s.[5][6][7][failed verification] Blended pumpkin pie spice was introduced commercially by McCormick & Company in 1934.[8]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Mondschein, Ken (October 2021). "The Medieval Origins of Pumpkin Spice". Medievalists. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ Cadwalader, Zac (14 September 2022). "Pumpkin Spice Is Now Dictionary Official". Sprudge.com. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "A brief history of how pumpkin spice took over our lives". businessinsider.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ "American Cookery by Amelia Simmons - Full Text Free Book". www.fulltextarchive.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^ Farmer, Fannie Meritt. 1896. The Original Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, Facsimile Edition of 1986, Weathervane Books, NY,NY
- ^ Smiley's cookbook and universal household guide. Smiley Publishing Co. Chicago
- ^ Coppin, C.A. 1910. Mamma's Hints to Housekeepers. Advanced Stove Works, Keller-Crescent, Evansville,IN.
- ^ McKormick & Company, "Pumpkin Pie Spice: An Iconic McCormick Product (And How We’re Working to Meet the Holiday Demand)", November 19, 2020 Archived October 21, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
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