We are entering the season of Pumpkin Spice everything. Adding this savory spice blend to a coffee or espresso just wakes up the senses to the fall.

This fall seasonal flavor has such a following that we were curious about the origins of this combination we decided to investigate.

What is pumpkin spice?

Pumpkin Spice is an aromatic spice blend of nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cinnamon. While no pumpkin is typically used in this spice blend, the combination is typical for pumpkin pie, so the combination is commonly referred to as pumpkin pie spice.

Coffee and spice trade

The spices found in pumpkin spice were originated on a small group of islands in Indonesia, referred to as the “Spice Islands.”

During antiquity, the region around Indonesia traded to acquire these valuable spices. Ships embarking on the Spice Trade would pass through Yemen, specifically the port of Mocha, on their way to Europe and North Africa.

It was in Yemen where coffee was first grown commercially. Coffee shared the same cargo holds as spices as both became more widely traded.  

Interestingly, the coffee blend Mocha Java is considered the first blend and its name is a nod to coffee bring brought from the port city of Mokka in Yemen to the island of Java in Indonesia.

The Dutch East Indies Trading Company was established by the Dutch for trading spices. In the 1500s and 1600s the Dutch began planning coffee trees on the island of Java in Indonesia. The sheer size of the farms soon meant that Java was the largest coffee producer. Soon, coffeehouses began to spring up in cities like London and Vienna.

Pumpkin desserts in the US

In the 1700s and 1800s, pies in colonial America were often made with squash and fruit unlike the typical savory meat pies of England.  During this time pumpkin were typically consumed as roasted or baked, and to be enjoyed in soups or stews.

In Amelia Simmon’s cookbook, published in 1796, included a recipe for pumpkin pudding. This recipe included cream, sugar, nutmeg, and ginger—not unlike the ingredients of today’s pumpkin spice drinks.

By 1929, Libby’s, began offering a pureed canned pumpkin for making pumpkin pie at home. In 1934, McCormick branded this spice combination as “pumpkin pie spice”.

With the end of sugar rationing after World War II, the demand for pumpkin began to soar. However, most pumpkins grown in the US were for fall decorations and not the edible variety.

Pumpkin and coffee pairing

In 2003, Starbucks was given the credit for creating the pumpkin spice latte as part of their fall seasonal drink offerings. Part of the reason why the pumpkin spice latte was developed during this time was because it was still a novelty flavor.

Now, the demand for pumpkin spiced desserts has expanded to countless desserts including pumpkin scones, pumpkin breads, and pumpkin muffins.

So, sit back and enjoy a cup of pumpkin spice knowing that it is part of a long culinary tradition.

Ever notice a color difference between roasted decaf coffee beans and caffeinated coffee beans? If you have been enjoying regular coffee and have made the switch to decaf, you might be surprised that the decaf coffee bean looks darker than other caffeinated coffees you have enjoyed.

Swiss Water Processed decaf coffee beans are very different from other coffee beans. While there are several ways to decaffeinate coffee, Red Cedar Coffee Co. only roasts those that have been decaffeinated by Swiss Water Processed.

The decaffeination process takes place in British Columbia, Canada, before the green coffee beans arrive at Red Cedar Coffee Co.  To decaffeinate the coffee beans, the green coffee beans are soaked in hot water for around 8-10 hours to remove the caffeine. During this time the coffee beans swell, become porous, and the caffeine molecules move out of the swelled coffee bean. By using water, much of the flavor profile of the coffee bean remains. This process is chemical-free and removes 99.9% of caffeine from the bean. The newly decaffeinated green beans are dried and prepared for shipping to coffee roasters.

The decaffeination process affects the composition of the coffee bean. When we open a bag of green Swiss Water Processed decaf coffee prior to roasting, the coffee beans appear uniform in color but darker than green caffeinated coffee beans.

The bean density also differs between Swiss Water Processed decaffeinated coffee beans and regular coffee beans. Decaffeinated coffee beans have less density and are lighter because the caffeine compounds have been removed. The density changes impact how the decaf coffee bean can take heat during the roasting process. For this reason, there is a limit to how much heat a decaf coffee bean can take during roasting.

The outside color of the decaf coffee bean can be misleading. Therefore, we always check the internal color of the coffee bean for quality control. For each roast we pull a sample to evaluate color based on the Agtron scale. Coffee samples are ground and compared to a numerical scale—referencing how dark or light a coffee bean is. You can be assured that your decaf has met our specifications before it is packaged.