Why are we so obsessed with taste and aroma?

The pumpkin spice latte is back.

With the temperature dropping, the nights closing in and Halloween around the corner, consumers are turning to cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg drinks to cheer them up.

But why are we so obsessed with this fall’s favorite scents and smells?

According to scientists, it’s all about our brain’s tendency to have fun.

The part of our brain involved in processing smell is close to, and has a strong connection with, the part that deals with memories and emotions.

This means that memories can be stored and retrieved easily when associated with a smell.

According to science journalist Alice Gray, from Cardiff, the aroma of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger can evoke pleasant, pleasant and pleasant memories.

Starbucks is credited with starting the trend for all things pumpkin spice.

According to the coffee chain’s website, the idea was born in a laboratory on the seventh floor of its HQ in Seattle.

Researchers brainstormed ideas for seasonal coffee flavors and pumpkins scored high on “uniqueness”.

The main ingredients are espresso, “pumpkin spice sauce” and steamed milk, plus whipped cream and a spice mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

When a new pumpkin spice latte — known to fans as the PSL — was tested with customers in 2003, it was a hit.

But when consumers started sharing their love for the drink on social media, it went from a popular coffee flavor to a billion-dollar industry — one that spans candles, beer, lip balm and even dogs.

Pumpkin spice ‘everything’ was born.

The global market for pumpkin spice products was worth $1.1bn (£823m) in 2003, and is expected to rise to $2.4bn (£1.7bn) by 2031, according to Future Market Insights.

Pumpkin spice lattes are now a coffee shop staple in the UK and US.

When 31-year-old Chelsea Enness opened Scaredy Cats Cafe Bar in Cardiff two years ago, she quickly realized she had to get on the menu.

“People came immediately asking for it, when September started,” he said.

The cafe is pumping out about six one-liter bottles of their homemade pumpkin spice syrup every week.

With a 25ml shot used in each drink, that’s 240 spice lattes.

And beyond coffee.

Vicky Isaac, 46, owns Little Bit Different, a wholesaler that supplies homemade candles to gift shops in Wales.

Their Sbies Pwmpen Latte Candle – pumpkin spice latte in Welsh – was created in 2020 and is now one of our seasonal bestsellers.

As well as the usual spices, she adds vanilla, coffee and pumpkin to her candles.

He started making them in response to a joke he saw on a US TV show about PSL’s popularity.

He said: “We thought, let’s have a laugh and see what happens. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work.

“But people really love pumpkin spice. It’s a really good seller for us.”

They’ve been taking orders for pumpkin spice candles since early August, so the stores are already stocked for September.

“When the weather changes, the kids go back to school and the tourists all go home, it’s nice to have something different to make this season,” he said.

Science journalist Alice Gray says the smell rather than the taste of pumpkin spice products is key.

“The spices used in pumpkin spice lattes have a strong connection to the holiday season, and they can be associated with fond memories,” she says.

“So when you smell the spice, it immediately activates emotional memories of joy, warmth and happiness.”

And if you’re sipping on a pumpkin spice latte, the drink’s high sugar levels also trigger the brain’s reward system, releasing feel-good chemicals that make us crave more.

But smart marketing also plays a role.

“The seasonal nature of pumpkin spice lattes hack into the hunter-gatherer part of our psychology,” Alice said.

“The fact that you can only get it in the fall gives you a sense of scarcity, which makes us want to get our hands on it.”

Kiani Geldard, of Providero Coffehouse in Llandudno and Llandudno Junction, said that for many customers, the pumpkin spice latte was an “accessible joy”.

“It’s easy to reach and it doesn’t take the world to have fun with PSL today, regardless of what happens,” he said.

In short, yes. But this is a hotly debated topic.

Coffee enthusiasts argue that adding the original pumpkin is unnecessary.

Timothy Sharp, manager of Sparrow Coffee House in Cardiff, makes his own homemade syrup, adding spices like cloves, cardamom and star anise to the ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg core PSL ingredients.

But pumpkins are not included.

“I see it as a spice that goes into pumpkin pie,” he said.

“I’m not sure I want to taste pumpkin in my latte”.

However, Ms Enness insisted that the original pumpkin should be there.

Her staff ordered a tin of pumpkin puree from the US, and added it to the syrup, which Chelsea said gave the coffee a distinct texture.

“I don’t think it changes the flavor that much,” he added.

“It just knows it’s there.”