Pumpkin Spice Market Hits $1.1 Billion; The Sweet Taste Built on Colonial Bloodshed and Slavery
The US pumpkin spice industry, valued at over $1.1 billion in 2025, is examined through the dark history of its ingredients: nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. From the Dutch annihilation of the Bandanese to enslaved labor in the Caribbean, the flavor of American nostalgia is traced back to the global spice trade\’s violent origins.





