Brain science
Enticed by pumpkin spice
Published Sept 21, 2021Wednesday was the first day of fall, but at coffee shops and grocery stores, it has been peak autumn for weeks, thanks to the early arrival of pumpkin spice, the ubiquitous flavor that has come to signal the season’s unofficial start. But what pulls us toward the pumpkin? Perception researchers Jason Fischer and Sarah Cormiea say it's the smell: Those notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger trigger deeply rooted cozy memories of autumn.
