Is pumpkin spice season coming too early this year?

It might be the height of summer but pumpkin spice season is coming even earlier than ever. Do seasonal flavors really need to come before the season?

Many, many people anxiously await pumpkin spice season. As everyone anticipates when the PSL will return to Starbucks stores, people can almost taste the annual latte. Still, even as kids head back to school, did everyone miss an opportunity to embrace summer’s best foods and flavors?

Pumpkin spice and its flavored foods seem to have become a huge phenomenon. Although there are a few people who avoid the PSL fever, a large majority cannot wait for all those tasty treats to hit store shelves. One of the most anticipated foods is the Starbucks PSL.

As fans wait for Starbucks to unveil the return of this popular coffee beverage, it begs the question, is it too soon for the return? Do you really want to drink a PSL or eat pumpkin spice foods when it is 100 degree outside?

Of course, favorite foods can be tempting any time of the year. If you just love a PSL, you can make one in March, May or October. There’s always a can of Libby’s Pumpkin puree on the shelf in a grocery store (it’s the best way to enjoy a PSL). If you have a craving you don’t have to wait for Starbucks.

But, there is a reason why seasonal foods taste so much better during a season. Eating foods around the time of year that they are fresh has a different taste and experience.

Granted, the PSL isn’t necessarily made with pieces of fresh pumpkin, but the idea still can apply. When the air is crisp, cool and brisk, a warm, spicy, comforting beverage is perfection. As the beverage warms your hands, the aroma takes hold. On the first sip, you can feel that chill fade and a smile appears.

When the humidity is unbearable and the sun is beating down, that same enjoyment is totally different. That sense of comfort may not be as pleasurable.