[31 Days of Halloween] October 21
Big news in the world of pumpkin spice lattes!
(I was looking for a pumpkin spice-related gif and found the above, but it becomes more uncanny the more I watch it… is the mug using the pumpkin (which seemingly has a straw) to drink from, or is it a slice of pie? But it is also somehow sentient? Don’t look too closely at it…)
🎃
Today I read a wonderful article, “The curious, contentious history of pumpkin spice lattes” by Doug Mack, in Snack Stack, “an obsessively researched newsletter about the cultural history of snacks and other foods around the world”.
It’s well worth the read, but the banner headline is pretty fab: the pumpkin spice latte was, in all likelihood, created by the singer Tori Amos(?!).
Read the article for the details…and also, if anyone knows her and could ask her to confirm or deny, you’d be doing the food historians and curious readers (me) a real solid.
No need to buy a new cookie cutter just for the Halloween season! If you have a gingerbread man already, this quick video shows you a cute and easy way to turn them into “gingerdead” men.
Feelin spicy,
Laura
October 21, 2025