Pumpkin spice, everything nice and not-so-nice

Chapman students rate their favorite pumpkin-flavored treats for the fall season. MEGAN FORRESTER, Features Editor

My love for pumpkin has been quite the journey. When I was a toddler, I always scrunched my face at the sight of pumpkin pie and felt nauseated to my tiny core when my mom would crack open a fresh can of pumpkin puree.

Then, with the turn of a lightswitch, I grew up; my disgust suddenly turned into utter obsession and adoration. 

Now, every fall season brings the opportunity to let my pumpkin addiction soar to its highest peak. I can devour a pumpkin scone between sips of a Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew and inhale the festive fragrance of a pumpkin pecan waffles candle without any judgement. I wouldn’t be surprised if, from the months of August to November, my veins turned orange from all the pumpkin consumption.

Since this is the time of year when I live, eat, breathe and talk about everything pumpkin, one must think I know where to get all the essentials. But, I needed some assistance on that part. So, I sought out 24 Chapman students to take part in a survey and share their thoughts on the most coveted and the most gag-worthy pumpkin flavored items of the fall season. 

Best pumpkin-flavored items:

Of the survey participants, 42.9% voted pumpkin bread as the top tier pumpkin-flavored item — and why wouldn’t it be? It’s the “Casablanca” of autumnal treats — a classic, deserving of nothing but love and affection. Whenever I think of pumpkin bread, I am transported back to when I was a kid spying on my mom in the kitchen. With each start of the fall season, she’d whip up her Williams-Sonoma pumpkin loaf, adding her special touch of chocolate chips. 

While pumpkin bread is the most drool-worthy fall item for students, 28.6% answered that the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte (PSL) was their favorite. Senior sociology major Ella Grove said when she takes the first sip of this seasonal drink, it brings back loads of nostalgic memories from high school.

“I used to skip class to get a PSL with my friends,” Grove said. “It really tastes like fall, and since my birthday is in November, it reminds me of my birthday too. Overall, (the beverage brings) just really great fall vibes and gets me excited for fall.”

Third place, with 9.5% of the votes, goes to one of the newer Starbucks fall drinks: the pumpkin cream cold brew. Sophomore strategic and corporate communication major Taylor Bazella said this became her go-to drink in high school — so much so that now her friends are fondly reminded of her whenever they order it.

“I first fell in love with this perfect Starbucks drink my senior year of high school,” Bazella said. “This was the fall season when I began to grab one at least four days a week before classes. Then, the following year, when fall rolled around again, a friend from my senior class reached out to tell me she always thought of me when getting the drink. It made me happy that my legacy is, in fact, a pumpkin cream cold brew from Starbucks.”

Some of the other responses included pumpkin waffles, pumpkin butter and a Starbucks iced chai latte with pumpkin cream cold foam. 

Then, of course, there’s my personal favorites: the pumpkin scone from Starbucks and the pumpkin cookie from Rutabegorz, a restaurant off of Glassell St. If you have not tried either of these items, I may not be able to take you seriously. 

All jokes aside, I always buy two or three pumpkin scones each time I visit Starbucks — assuming they’re in stock — because they are that good. Similarly, the pumpkin cookies at Rutabegorz have been a constant source of comfort during my fall seasons at Chapman, each delicately topped with cream cheese frosting and a candy corn on top. Biting into one provides a couple fleeting moments of pure, edible bliss, molded into a delicious cookie. Pro tip: stick the cookies in the fridge for a delightful treat that won’t leave crumbs anywhere. 

Worst pumpkin-flavored items:

Even I can admit that there are, indeed, some really, really bad pumpkin items out there in the universe. I may have an obsession with the flavor, but I would never dare to take it this far. I scoured the internet for the most head-scratching pumpkin creations and had students select what they believed to be the worst. 

In first place, or should I say worst place, was pumpkin ramen at 57.1% of the votes. Many people would argue that sweet and savory is the ideal couple — like M&M’s and popcorn. But, the votes speak for themselves: some flavors just shouldn’t be mixed.

Then in second place with 19% of the votes are pumpkin-flavored Peeps Marshmallow Candies. As a child, my grandma was guilty of keeping her house stocked with these holiday themed marshmallow treats. But now, the artificial taste along with the sugary coating would lead to a potential breakup between myself and pumpkin.

In third place, with 9.5% of the votes, is pumpkin hard seltzer. Many of my friends are on board with pumpkin-flavored alcohol since, you know, college kids will gravitate toward anything with the slightest buzz. But, to me, it sounds like a bubbly nightmare, and Bazella agrees. 

“I have never tried pumpkin hard seltzer but I literally cannot think of something that sounds less appetizing than fizzy pumpkin water,” Bazella said.

Other items among the votes included pumpkin Cheerios, pumpkin spice cheese and Trader Joe’s’ newest pumpkin cream cheese. 

Whether you are a pumpkin fanatic like me, or someone whose only interaction with pumpkin is carving the guts out of one on Halloween, it is a staple of the fall season. Hopefully this survey helped to direct the pumpkin-newbies to figure out what their calling is, or at least this gave someone the inspiration to dip their toes into the beauty of pumpkin spiced everything. Either way, I am going to continue to happily munch on my pumpkin cookies until December.