A Taste of Fall: How Seasonal Flavors Stir Memory & Meaning
From pumpkin spice to pears, discover the tastes that define autumn’s rituals and traditions.
Sep 28, 2025
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Fall officially arrived in the Northern Hemisphere last Monday at precisely 2:19 p.m. Eastern. Most of us probably didn’t pause as our half of the planet started to tilt away from the sun. But truth be told, we’ve been feeling the shift for weeks.
You don’t need a calendar to know fall is here. (If you do need one, then click here.) You hear its return in the crunch of leaves underfoot. You feel it in the cool morning air. You see it in the trees as they trade in their greens for golds and reds. And you smell it in the kitchen aromas that drift through the house.
For me, though, the sense that best captures autumn’s return is taste. The flavors in a warm mug of cider, a caramel apple, or a maple-glazed sweet roll do more than excite my palate. Each bite brings back moments from falls past, reminders of who I was with and what I was doing.
That got me wondering: Why do fall flavors stay with us so vividly? And how are they tied to the rituals and rhythms that define this time of year?
A taste of fall traditions
Science shows that taste is closely connected to the brain’s memory and emotion centers. Often tied to moments with family and friends, these familiar tastes can help us feel grounded during seasonal transitions, easing anxiety and lifting our mood. It’s comfort, rooted in chemistry.
Fall brings about the desire for flavors associated with nostalgia and warmth. “For many people, these aromas evoke all sorts of positive emotions that are associated with the season,” says Dr. Pamela Dalton, a researcher with Philadelphia’s Monell Chemical Senses Center.
Here’s a personal example: Many years ago, Marylou and I would take our children to the local pumpkin patch. On the way out, we’d stop at the little farmstand near the exit, where they served hot cider and fresh doughnuts.
I don’t make it out to pumpkin patches much these days, but every time I bite into an apple cider doughnut, I’m transported. I can see my kids again with wide grins, muddy boots, and arms full of pumpkins. It’s amazing how one small flavor can bring so much joy.
A flavor for every palette
When we think of fall flavors, one usually jumps to the front of the line: pumpkin spice. Thanks to some smart marketing — and the cozy comfort it delivers — it’s become the unofficial symbol of the season. For many people, fall begins not with a date on the calendar, but with the first sighting of a pumpkin spice latte… even if it’s still August.
But pumpkin spice is just the beginning. Fall offers a full palette of flavors, each one coming at its own time and carrying its own story.
I was recently chatting with some of the folks behind Cheryl’s Cookies and Wolferman’s, and they shared how quickly customer tastes shift with the seasons. One week it’s all about lemon and strawberry, the flavors of summer. Then, almost overnight, cinnamon, caramel, apple, and pumpkin take center stage.
And it’s not just pumpkin spice that stirs excitement. At Cheryl’s, customers flock to seasonal favorites like pecan pie and caramel apple bars. Over at Wolferman’s, it’s cranberry and pumpkin spice kringles, and apple streusel walnut coffee cake (which, by the way, does not contain any coffee). At Harry & David, fall gift baskets overflow with autumnal flavors — and of course, the season wouldn’t be complete without the famous Royal Riviera Pears. More on them below.
Savoring the season
Seasonal flavors invite us to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going. Each time of year brings its own tastes and its own way of helping us move through time. The foods we’re reaching for now suggest it’s time to slow down, take a breath, and savor the moment.
There’s comfort in how these flavors return year after year. They remind us that even in a fast-moving world, some things show up right when we need them most. As fall settles in, maybe the best thing we can do is welcome these simple pleasures and create new memories.
All the best,
Jim
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AUTHOR
Jim McCann is the founder and chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. as well as a business leader, author, and philanthropist with a passion for helping people deliver smiles. Devoted to helping others, he also founded Smile Farms, a 501(c)3 organization that provides meaningful jobs in agricultural settings to young adults and adults with developmental disabilities.
