pumpkin What?????

~~some unknown but clever person

 

In the beginning there was pumpkin pie, which is really best made from Hubbard squash. Then came pumpkin cobblers and pumpkin bread and pumpkin butter, pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin jam and pumpkin relish, pumpkin rolls and pumpkin cookies. certainly none of these things sound out of the ordinary, in fact they all sound delicious, in fact I am getting very hungry. And that all time favorite pumpkin soup which gets much of it's flavor from bacon, and pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust and maple creme icing.

Then things started gettin' weird, there was  pumpkin flavored Hershey Kisses, and pumpkin flavored Jello pudding and pie filling and Pumpkin flavored coffee creamer, Pumpkin flavored whipped topping, and Pumpkin dip mix. Again these products sound reasonable, rich and creamy and very like pumpkin pie laced with the wondrously aromatic spices that make pumpkin pie make us feel all warm inside, well  it's pretty much the ginger that gives you that warm feeling. I have grown pumpkins for years, and frankly pumpkin has little taste to it,  a bland slightly bitter, it's probably a very healthy food, it sure tastes like it. But after someone adds sugar, creme. spices, and plenty of them it is not only yummy it is a pretty color!   Did you know that many people make their pumpkin pie from sweet potatoes??? It is true, sweet potatoes are sweet with a slightly nutty richness, a beautiful color and packed with nutrition, sot anywhere near as much sweetened condensed milk needed.  It would ,of course, be our secret. 

Pumpkin Pie flavored gumballs
Pumpkin Pie flavored puppy teething ring
Pumpkin Pie flavored ice cream
Pumpkin Pie flavored eggnog
Pumpkin Pie flavored fudge
Pumpkin Pie Flavored beer
Pumpkin Pie flavored candy corn
Pumpkin Pie Amoretti
Pumpkin ravioli
Pumpkin Pie flavored rice Crispy Treats

Pringles new Pumpkin Pie Spice Potato Chips
Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts

Pumpkin Spice dried pasta from Rossi Pasta

Pumpkin Pie Vodka from Pinnacle
Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows from Kraft
Thomas Pumpkin Spice Bagels
Bigelow Pumpkin Spice Tea
Silk’s Pumpkin Spice Soy Milk
Trader Joe’s pumpkin flavored dog treats
Pumpkin Pie flavored yogurt
Pumpkin Pie flavored granola bars
Pumpkin Pie flavored creme cheese


But one feels the need to ask, why no Pumpkin Pie Flavored Cheerios???

Long ago in 5th or 6th grade, one learned about the the "spice  Trade" and how it, and how it sent explorers out in all compass directions to find the spices that hid the taste of rancid meats and other spoiled food stuffs.  One feels seeing all of this, that in ones not so humble opinion, that we should be grateful to those explorers for finding those wonderful spices for us, before  the pumpkin travelled to Europe from the New World.