Science finally has an answer to why we put “pumpkin spice” in everything, including mac and cheese, this time of year.
A team from John Hopkins has been studying why we humans like pumpkin spice so much. They say it’s because the smell gives us a feeling of nostalgia. It’s an association that we psychologically put with the season turning to fall. One of the researchers, Sarah Cormiea, pointed out that we don’t even have to taste the spice to have warm memories. She says just reading the words “pumpkin spice” will spark an area in the brain that’s responsible for memory.
Today, by the way, is National Pumpkin Day! Also, there is zero actual pumpkin anything in pumpkin spice.