Fall is my favorite time of the year. Leaves change color, the air starts getting cooler, and everything feels cozier. However, no matter how much I love the autumn season, I always dread it, for one reason, and one reason alone: pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice is hailed the quintessential fall flavor, but in my unpopular (but superior) opinion, pumpkin spice is gross and fails in comparison to the actual best seasonal treat: maple. Here are five reasons why maple is better than pumpkin spice.
1. Maple is more versatile.
First and foremost, let's establish the fact that maple is an ingredient that is good for more than just slathering atop your pancakes. Sure, that might be its most popular usage, but its subtle sweetness can be used for so many different recipes like maple cookies, maple bacon donuts, and even maple Brussels sprouts. But, pumpkin? Nope. It doesn't complement other flavors well, rendering it one-dimensional and inflexible.
2. Pumpkin drowns out other flavors.
When you do choose to cook something with pumpkin (which is questionable in and of itself), your options are severely limited because pumpkin's flavor is so strong that it's all you taste. There might be a longer list of recipes that feature pumpkin than maple syrup, but no matter what you make, they all have the same flavor profile. Your tastebuds are bombarded by the distinctive spicy, warm notes of pumpkin, so all the other ingredients go unnoticed and under appreciated.
3. Pumpkin spice tastes artificial.
Maybe you actually like pumpkin and don't mind its distinctive, pungent flavor. Okay, sure. But you can't argue with me when I say that pumpkin spice is gross because it tastes so fake. I mean, it isn't even made of pumpkin! Don't tell me that you like pumpkin spice because you think pumpkin is an amazing seasonal ingredient because pumpkin spice is definitely NOT pumpkin.
4. Pumpkin is in literally everything, and that is just plain wrong.
So for you crazy PSL lovers that will say, "Pumpkin spice is a delicious festive flavor and I don't care if it's made up! It makes me happy!" I present you this indisputable piece of evidence: pumpkin flavor has infiltrated everything. And I mean everything. Pumpkin spice butter, pumpkin Greek yogurt, and, yes, even pumpkin spice alcohol— it's way too much. If you want to stuff your body with pumpkin spice, whatever, go ahead. But keep it away from my cheese.
5. Maple transcends seasons.
As so eloquently put by my roommate, "When the f*ck do pancakes go out of season?" They don't! Although slightly raunchy, her sentiment is on-point: maple is timeless, and pumpkin is only hyped during fall. You can have maple whenever you want, without threat of shortage, and you'll enjoy it any and every time. Like red lipstick and a little black dress, maple never goes out of style. On the other hand, pumpkin is the fashion faux pas you only realize is a fashion faux pas when you look back on it.
I might have hurt a lot of people's feelings and lost support, but I don't care. I said it before, and I'll say it again: maple is better than pumpkin spice. Maple trumps pumpkin any day, and I will not sacrifice honesty for your approval. So, go ahead. Make your fall-inspired maple treats, or have maple in winter, spring, and summer, and savor in the fact that you're on the right side of this argument.