Pumpkins are regarded nationwide as harbingers of autumn.
Their vibrant orange color makes gardens and front porches pop, their hollow form is perfect for carving jack-o-lanterns to light up crisp October nights, and their distinct flavor can serve as an enhancement or the star of a dish.
In recent years, however, the pumpkin flavor has gathered somewhat of a cult following through coffee shops, cafés, grocery stores, and restaurant chains. Often marketed as the “pumpkin spice” flavor, foods and beverages are endowed with pumpkin and the true basis most Americans associate with “pumpkin spice”: a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.
Pumpkin spice coffee in particular is certainly in no shortage here in Raleigh, and in fact the Peace Perk coffee shop serves its own version of the famed pumpkin spice latte.
“I love the pumpkin spice lattes that are served at Peace Perk,” says senior Amber Karas. “It is a great way to warm up on a cold day!”
Deemed the “Great Pumpkin latte,” the product is also available in a blended coffee beverage. Starbucks, Gloria Jean’s Coffee, Caribou Coffee, Panera Bread, It’s A Grind, Dunkin Donuts, and even select McDonalds all offer their own variation on pumpkin spice coffees, lattes and frappe beverages.
If shopping local is your forte, Morrisville-based Muddy Dog Roasting Company offers hot pumpkin coffee on Saturday mornings at the Saturday Market at RebusWorks near Hillsborough Street.
If you’re lucky enough to be blessed with your own coffee maker, flavored coffee beans can be purchased at The Fresh Market, World Market, and Gloria Jean’s Coffee, the last of which smells delightful!
Finally, if you’re not feeling up to coffee, you can always pick up a jug of pumpkin cider (available at The Fresh Market) or a batch of Pumpkin Chai or Pumpkin Ginger tea (available at World Market). And for those 21 and up, select ABC stores are shelving Fulton’s Harvest Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur for a limited time.
Pumpkin pie isn’t the only way to add a shot of pumpkin spice to your daily diet. In fact, you hardly have to travel far! The Starbucks by the intersection of Peace Street and Glenwood Avenue is currently stocking pumpkin scones and slices of pumpkin bread. Krispy Kreme at the corner offers pumpkin spice donuts (though Dunkin Donuts’ version is definitely worth the extra travel), and last year PieBird on Person Street boasted an excellent pumpkin-flavored ice cream. The Godiva store at Crabtree Valley Mall sells pumpkin truffles, and pumpkin frozen yogurt can be found intermittently at Menchie’s, YoPop, and The Skinny Dip frozen yogurt bars.
When the season ends, pumpkin spice is not gone forever. Available year-round at Logan’s Seaboard Café in Seaboard Station are miniature pumpkin muffins whose small size is no match for their big flavor. Natural foods powerhouse Kashi has a year-round Pumpkin Pecan granola bar, and Healthy Choice offers a Pumpkin Squash Ravioli microwave dinner. You can also infuse year-round breakfasts with a pop of pumpkin thanks to Nature’s Path Pumpkin Raisin Crunch cold cereal, or their fiber-rich Pumpkin Flax granola. Finally, while the product is only available seasonally, Torani’s pumpkin pie flavor syrup comes in a massive 750ml bottle that’ll have you adding it to your coffee all the way up to next autumn.
Then again, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be out by winter break.