Pumpkin spice typically consists of a combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Sometimes it even contains actual pumpkin. Nowadays, as cool autumn weather approaches and people gear up for Halloween and Thanksgiving, "pumpkin spice" becomes inescapable, showing up as a flavoring in everything from Starbucks coffee to high-end dog biscuits. It dates back to 1796, when two pie recipes called for “pompkin” spice in that year’s edition of American Cookery, the first cookbook written by an American.
'Tis the season for pumpkin spice: