Many things change with the seasons; it’s a fact. One of them happens to be tea! Iced teas are for summer, unless you spend your time in the depths of a dungeon, or heavily air-conditioned basement. Hot tea is for the winter, unless you’re one of the few people who just don’t like hot drinks. Of course, this is partially subjective and it could depend on your mood, but for the most part, it’s fact.

Tea temperature is not the only thing that changes with the seasons; there are myriad flavours and blends that come with the changing leaves, flowers, wardrobes, and accessories. This being said, there is one key ingredient that takes over, not only the tea world, but also the coffee world, the food world, and even the decorative world. Think you know what it is? You probably guessed it.

Pumpkin has taken over this fall, as it has every year since I can remember. Starbucks announced the return of their famous Pumpkin Spice Latte, DAVIDsTEA brought out four new pumpkin teas in their fall collection, and pumpkins are taking over supermarkets, recipe websites, and food and décor magazines. And me and my love for pumpkin everything are okay with that.

Since I was a kid, the sight of pumpkin in the supermarkets meant I would soon get to indulge in my mother’s famous pumpkin soup. Every year I would bring a jar to my favourite teachers and every year the ones who got some the previous years came around asking if my mom would be making her delicious soup again. When I moved away for post-secondary education I was forced to learn the ropes on my own, not willing to let go of this yearly tradition, after many phone calls and emails to my mom complaining that it just didn’t taste the same as hers, I’ve figured it out.

When I’m not indulging in my favourite soup, I’m taking advantage of those delicious pumpkin teas. I sip Pumpkin Chai and Pumpkin Pie Matcha in the morning to get my caffeine fix. I steep naturally caffeine-free Spiced Pumpkin after 6 p.m. to ensure I’ll be getting sleep at night.

For those of you who say you’re not a fan of pumpkin, I beg you to try some new recipes, drinks, and treats. There is something out there that will change your mind, you just have yet to find it. Unless of course you have allergies to this glorious squash, then for everyone's sake, please stay away.

Photo Credit: Brandon Blinkenberg

ROXANNE PEPIN

I’m Roxanne Pepin and I am a Professional Writer, blogger, realist, cyclist, and cat lover at large studying at Algonquin College, in Canada’s capital city. I am an aspiring fiction writer and copy editor who writes for my fellow fiction lovers, music lovers, book worms, cycling enthusiasts, tea devotees, and real-time, high-on-life junkies.

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