The (Un)basic Tale Of The Pumpkin Spice Latte
Originally Published: 21 October 2020
'Twas the early days of 2003, when a man named Peter Dukes embarked on a caffeinated quest in the latte land of Seattle: the Starbucks Headquarters. You see, Dukes was tasked with creating a seasonal brew for the Fall. Starbucks already had seasonal beverages for winter so how could thee compare with the Eggnot Latte and the much sought Peppermint Mocha? As it turns out, this autumn brew would surpass the lot. Indeed, there is no drink more divisive, none guaranteed to stir up national debate annually, than the PSL: The Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Giving rise to cultural wars, the PSL has an infamous reputation for being 'basic' but if we look underneath the creamy surface, within its layers, we would find a rather unbasic, unexpected exploration. The PSL demonstrates the many ironies and historical juxtapositions we overlook without second thought. Depending on size, the PSL can cost anywhere between $4-6. while PSL-haters cite this as one reason for their aversion, a dig into the history of the ingredients makes this figure more significant in ways you hadn't initially considered.
THE MAKING OF THE PSL
Before diving into ancient times, let's go back to the less ancient times of 2003. Peter Dukes and his team were gathered on the 7th floor of Starbucks' headquarters in Seattle. Therein lies the "Liquid Lab." Starbucks describes this as "a cross between a chef’s kitchen and a scientist’s playground – with industrial refrigerators, espresso equipment, and an eclectic mix of potential ingredients and flavors." The team ate a forkful of pumpkin pie and took a sip of hot espresso, repeating the process to test which flavors would go well with Starbucks' coffee. While binge-eating dessert followed by coffee may be a frequent ritual to you, these employees actually made money from it.
They would continue this for three months developing a recipe, which had in it: Sugar. Spice. And everything nice. Well everything, except for pumpkin. Indeed, the Pumpkin Spice Latte did not actually have any pumpkin in it, only the spices used in pumpkin pie. It's easy to appreciate that this made sense since even pumpkin spice does not have pumpkin in it. Spice is just spice. However consumers took offence and felt mislead- nay, betrayed. In 2015, Starbucks changed its 11 year old recipe to include actual pumpkin and removed caramel colouring which had caused much outrage.
The PSL has developed quite the fanbase, having its own verified account on Instagram and Twitter. Despite not having posted since 2017, PSL has 30.6k followers on Instagram.
PSL & CULTURE
The PSL's 'basic' reputation ignites cultural wars on a annual basis. A VICE article titled, 'At Starbucks, Men Open Up About the Stigma of Pumpkin Spice Lattes' referenced a situation where a guy wanted to order a PSL but his friend said he would lose his "MANcard." Based on his experience of serving PSLs, a barista, in the same article says, "guys are definitely more low-key when they order it: They speak more quietly and their eyes get shifty." An Op-Ed for The Phoenix argues that PSL hate is sexist, "It all comes back to sexism. People love to hate on what girls like," writes Min Cheng. These contentions have contributed to a certain stigma associated with ordering the PSL, especially for those who've never tried it before.
When people think of the PSL, they think of autumn leaves, UGG boots and aesthetic photos. Yet, a historic exploration of the PSL's ingredients, may evoke different imagery.
NOT-SO-BASIC HISTORY
Let's start with a prominent ingredient in pumpkin spice: nutmeg. For centuries the Banda islands (located in what is now Indonesia) was the only place where nutmeg grew on the entire planet. The Portugese were the first European powers to reach the islands but the problem really began with the Dutch invasion in 1599. An article by The Washington Post titled 'Pumpkin spice wars: The violent history behind your favorite Starbucks latte' provides a detailed explanation of this. The Dutch told the Bandanese people that they couldn’t trade nutmeg with anyone, making them sign a contract, though it's unclear where the Bananese knew what they were signing. Regardless, the Bananese continued to trade with other countries, ignoring the contract. When they started trading with the English, the Dutch responded with a massacre. The article mentions that the Bandanese "nearly all met one of three fates: They were murdered in Dutch attacks, starved to death, or jumped off cliffs in despair." Amongst the very few Bandanese who did survive the massacre, some were enslaved to teach the Dutch how to cultivate nutmeg.
Despite the human toll, the English still wanted control over the nutmeg monoply and continued to fight the Dutch for it. The conflict ceased when the Dutch withdrew their claims to Manhattan, giving the English full ownership of the island in exchange for controlling the Island of Run, part of the Banda Archipelago. How different would the world be had events played out differently. For one, Manhattan would be speaking Dutch. Imagine how the colonial powers would have felt knowing that they waged over a spice that would be used in something called the PSL. Exploitation and corruption doesn't really go with the whole VSCO aesthetic.
The PSL, like Starbucks' other designer drinks, is sold at at a premium price. An article by Buzzfeed links the status symbol associated with a PSL to the historic value of spices: "Historically, spices were expensive and used to convey status — to use them was exotic and meant you had wealth. To use a spice meant you might be the first one in your town to have access to it." This notion stands true for the PSL as well. The fact that it's only available for a short time period may also encourage people who wouldn't generally spend that much on coffee to pay the premium. While real spices are sprinkled on the PSL, the recipe base is made up of compounds synthesised in the lab that resemble pumpkin spice flavouring. A food scientist - Kantha Shelke - told TIME, “I don’t believe there’s enough cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger if all of India or all of China decided today that they were going to have a pumpkin spice latte.”
Ironically, pumpkins had the opposite historical association regarding status. In her book 'Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon', Cindy Ott writes "The pumpkin's cultural affiliations, not just its bland meat, undercut its popularity. Within a few decades of the founding of Jamestown and Plymouth, dining on native pumpkins instead of standard European fare was a sign of dire circumstances…Instead of being a food of necessity, it became food for the poor…Europeans ridiculed the pumpkin and the people who ate it as boorish and crude, the antithesis of cultured society." PSL: draining bank accounts since 2003. Capitalistopia does not care for irony.
BASICALLY
The PSL was almost dropped by Starbucks. “A number of us thought it was a beverage so dominated by a flavor other than coffee that it didn’t put Starbucks’ coffee in the best light,” said a former long-term employee of Starbucks - Tim Kern. Despite PSL's booming success, this is still a reality. It's difficult to actually taste the espresso in a PSL yet it's one of the most well known - albeit infamous - caffeinated beverages of our time.
Starbucks roasts its coffee in the US but sources it from more than 30 different countries in the world. 'Espresso' itself is rooted in Italian coffee house culture and Italians have petitioned to give it UNESCO heritage status. Most of the spices that make up pumpkin spice have to be exported to the US from other countries, most of whom still bare the scars of colonial corruption. Pumpkin is perhaps the only ingredient native to the US (milk aside) and it wasn't included in the PSL's recipe until 2015.
Love it or hate it, the PSL is a stark reminder of how much we depend on the world. Martin Luther King Jr. once said:
“We are everlasting debtors to known and unknown men and women. We do not finish breakfast without being dependent on more than half of the world … at the table we drink coffee that is provided for us by a South American, or tea by a Chinese, or cocoa by a West African. Before we leave for our jobs we are beholden to more than half the world.”
Even though the PSL provokes national debate every year, we fail to appreciate how this drink alone opens the door to many important conversations. The PSL may be basic but it's also an interesting lens we can use to decolonise history and explore a range of social and economic concepts.
Now for the guys feeling brave: go get that Pumpkin Spice Latte.