By Riley Seaver

For many, pumpkins signify the ushering in of a new season. The orange fruits are placed on doorsteps and throughout homes across the country during the fall season. But more commonly than ever, pumpkins are making their way into an array of foods and beverages, which begs us to ask the question: Why are Americans so obsessed with pumpkin?

Pumpkins are synonymous with holidays that bring people together. During Halloween, it is a common tradition for many to carve scary or silly faces into pumpkins, a tradition rooted in Irish culture to keep away evil. A common dish at Thanksgiving is pumpkin pie, a quick and tasty symbol of unity. They are also a broad symbol of fall, a time when the leaves change and the air gets cooler. 

Pumpkins have made their mark even in pop culture. Many know the story of Cinderella, a girl who escapes to the ball in a pumpkin carriage and if she wasn’t back by midnight, her carriage would turn back into a pumpkin. In the fan-favorite It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Linus camps out in a pumpkin patch looking for signs of “The Great Pumpkin”, said to appear on Halloween night. These stories make us feel nostalgic and bring us back to our childhood, with pumpkins  symbolizing these stories. 

Due to their popularity, pumpkins have made their way into varying foods, some being cult classics, while others may seem unusual to the outside eye. An array of pumpkin-infused treats saturate the market today! Check out the pumpkin ravioli from Trader Joes and a personal favorite of mine, Starbucks Pumpkin cold foam on top of iced coffee or chai! Some interesting ones include pumpkin spice-flavored marshmallows and pumpkin spice Spam–give it a try!