Trader Joe’s is a leader in pumpkin flavors…
Although I’m not a big fan of pumpkin pie, I’m fascinated by the vast selection of TJ’s products that echo the flavor of this old American favorite. That is, a favorite of other people, not me. I havn’t tried a single one of these products, I’m just a tourist while doing my shopping. I only really like pumpkin in savory dishes like stews or in pumpkin lasagne.
In any case, looking at these products — so essentially frivolous — takes my mind off the many depressing problems of the food supply these days. Forget the impact of climate change on agriculture. Forget the impact of ultra-processed foods on public health. Forget the issues of hunger in the third world and in our world. Have some fun.
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Pumpkin pancakes sound pretty normal. Ingredients include both actual pumpkin in the form of dried flakes, and the classic spice blend once dedicated to pumpkin pie. |
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As far as I can see from the ingredient list, the “chocolate mousse pumpkins” have NEITHER actual pumpkin NOR actual spices. But they have a lot of artificial stuff, and some real cocoa powder. |
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These madeleines have pumpkin spice, but not pumpkin.
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Pumpkin butter, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake croissants… |
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Trader Joe’s introduced pumpkin pie-spiced coffee in 2011. According to the TJ website, flavors include "things like orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla beans, and pumpkin spice oil.” I am a purist when it comes to coffee: no flavoring for me. |
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No pumpkin or spice here: just normal Joe-Joes with cute faces. I did buy a box of these. |
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This is where it gets a little strange: pumpkin corn chips? This was their featured tasting item. I didn’t try them. |
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Pumpkin soup is actually a recipe with a very long history. I make it from scratch. |
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For all I know, pumpkin could be a traditional samosa filling. |
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Pumpkin-flavored breakfast: O’s Cereal and cold brew coffee. |
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Maybe it’s good for your skin. |
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Can dogs taste pumpkin? |
Outside of TJ’s, you can also find all manner of pumpkin foods.
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Oreos are known for constantly offering many special flavors. |
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Ok, I guess folks do like breakfast to have pumpkin spice. Or real pumpkin. Or pumpkin seeds. |
Twenty Years of Pumpkin Spice
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The pumpkin spice craze started at Starbucks in 2003 and 2004. This image is on their current website. Full disclosure: I’ve never tried any of these drinks. Maybe I will this year. Probably not. |
Sources: The photos inside Trader Joe’s are all mine — I took them while I was buying meat, vegetables, cake, tomato sauce, and other foods that might seem boring to a pumpkin/pumpkin spice aficionado. The non-TJ images came from web searches, and some of them may have been discontinued since the photos were posted.
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Of course there’s nothing new about a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger. This is a vintage spice tin from 1947, on offer at eBay. I’m pretty sure my mother had a tin of this spice for her Thanksgiving pies. |
Blog post and original photos © 2024 mae sander.
3 comments:
It is fun to see what Trader Joe's comes up with for Pumpkin products. There's some I haven't seen. Did you buy any?
Wow, I have never so many pumpkin products. Even doggie treat, it is amazing. Take care, have a great day and happy weekend!
I love homemade pumpkin bread and soup but overall, it's not my favorite flavor. Still -- that's a load of pumpkin. Our TJs is open now (after several years of waiting!). I get in trouble every time I go in!
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