At the start of every season there is always a renewed enthusiasm for food only available at that time. Autumn’s craze is especially significant, as there are two holidays associated with different foods. Fall is known for its signature flavors like apples, pumpkins, cranberries, caramel and anything warm and toasty. For Halloween, there is a candy mania\; and Thanksgiving gives us baked goods made with a certain spice.
Ever since Starbucks’ creation of the Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003, the pumpkin spice obsession has taken America by storm. Junior Malhaar Nair used to be obsessed with drinks like the Pumpkin Spice Latte and other elaborate Starbucks refreshments. Recently, he has kicked the habit of daily Starbucks, although he remains traumatized by their addicting beverages.
“I am still getting over my Starbucks addiction, yet the Pumpkin Spice Latte still haunts me in my dreams,” Nair said.
Due to its popularity, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, better known as PSL, has caused the production of many items with its flavor and scent. Strange products like yogurt, candles, hummus, burgers, toothpaste, dog shampoo, spam, pringles, twinkies, poptarts and peeps are all produced in pumpkin flavor during this festive time.
“I’m obsessed with pumpkin spice anything because it reminds me of the warm comforting feeling of fall” junior Gianna Schulp said.
Fall is also the beginning of bizzare candies, even long before the month of Halloween. These include caramel apple pops, sour pumpkins, maple candies, apple chocolates, apple cider caramels, candied pecans and the black sheep of the bunch, candy corn. On the opposite side of the spectrum from pumpkin spice, candy corn is hated by most people because of how widespread it has become and its stale flavor.
Candy Corn has been in production since the 1800’s and has been a Halloween staple for 70 years because it’s cheap and easy to make. It’s been around for so long that people have come to abhor it, just because it’s incredibly common for such a basic tasting candy.
“I really despise candy corn because it’s horrible tasting candy, and it’s not even shaped like corn, so it’s misleading. Why would anyone make a candy out of a vegetable?” junior Laura Mackie said.
“Everywhere you go during Halloween season you come across candy corn, it’s like you can’t escape it and its disturbing,” Mackie said.
![Social studies teacher Timothy Rodman holds a production factory simulation in his AP Microeconomics class. "Students remember running for class president or the mock congress or the production factory much more so than learning topics like circular flow," Rodman said. "[The simulations make learning] very tangible and real and then students down the road are able to use it."](https://wjpitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_4420-1200x675.jpg)
