How Pumpkin Spice Transformed from Simple Pie Seasoning to Autumn Shorthand
The Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) ignited an American obsession that now drives a $1.1 billion industry. The piece explores the cultural shift—from a once-a-year pie ingredient to the shorthand for autumn—and the historical irony of its Asian spices being rooted in colonial conquest, slavery, and the violent spice trade.





