The autumn is here. In addition to golden autumn walks and rainy cuddle afternoons, the new season brings us plenty of inspiration for the kitchen. What should never be missing? The good old pumpkin. Hardly anything symbolizes the autumn season better than the deep orange colored vegetables. As versatile as the pumpkin is, it enriches us with hearty dishes such as pumpkin soup or stew, makes risotto so unmistakably creamy and aromatic and also tastes fantastic straight from the tin. But it doesn't just cut a good figure when it's hearty. It gives sweet dishes that certain something extra and becomes an absolute taste hit in desserts.

But not only the pumpkin belongs to autumn, like the watermelon to summer. No, with the start of the season, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is making its way - at least on the menus of various cafés and coffee shops.

The history of the classic begins in January 2003, when the cult drink first went on sale at a large American coffee shop chain. The idea behind the campaign was to extend the Christmas season and build on successes such as the Peppermint Mocha or Eggnog Latte. The Pumpkin Spice Latte unexpectedly became a star and an absolute bestseller. To this day, it remains the most popular seasonal beverage in the States. Every year, when the leaves turn red and orange and peacefully sail from the trees, the hype surrounding the drink continues.

Trying the drink yourself is highly recommended. It combines coffee with plenty of syrup, milk froth and seasonal spices. The latte is literally the embodiment of autumn: the aroma of pumpkin and cinnamon, together with seasonal spices, evokes a feeling of warmth and comfort.

All the better that you can easily prepare the coffee drink yourself - and not only get it in the coffee shop. Not only is it a lot cheaper. You can also play variably with the ingredients and, for example, veganize the trend drink in no time.

In any case, the base of the latte is espresso and milk froth. Instead of conventional milk foam made from cow's milk, you can of course also use a plant-based alternative. A soy or almond drink foams particularly well. In the meantime, however, there are also special barista editions on the market, which can be foamed excellently. The spices and the pumpkin puree give the Pumpkin Spice Latte its characteristic taste. Use the spices and a syrup of your choice to make Pumpkin Spice Syrup. Of course, the syrup can also be used for other autumnal desserts - there are no limits to your imagination.

You can easily make the pumpkin puree yourself. To do this, cut the pumpkin – the Hokkaido is a good choice, as it doesn’t have to be peeled – remove the seeds and bake in the oven at 175 degrees for about an hour. After it has cooled down, put it in a high-performance blender and puree it to a homogeneous mass. Alternatively, you can use ready-made pumpkin puree from the jar, which can usually be found in health food stores or the baby food department. When the Pumpkin Spice Latte is ready, it is topped with whipped cream. Vegan alternatives are now also available here. You can find out how to make vegan cream based on coconut milk here. So nothing stands in the way of your Pumpkin Spice Latte moment, right at the beginning of the calendar autumn.

The meteorological beginning of autumn, which is also called the climatological beginning of autumn, always falls on the first day of the month in which the day and night are equidistant - September. From a meteorological point of view, autumn always begins on September 1st. The meteorological definition should give all four seasons a constant length in order to enable uniform climate and weather records and to simplify comparisons over long periods of time.

In the entire northern hemisphere, on the other hand, autumn does not begin until September 22 this year from a calendar point of view. The date of the calendrical beginning of autumn, which is also known as the astronomical beginning of autumn, varies from year to year and falls on different dates in September. The date can be traced back to the so-called autumnal equinox and the north-south migration.

The day and night equinox designates the two calendar days of a year on which day and night are approximately the same length. In September, the sun moves across the equator to the southern hemisphere and heralds spring there, while autumn arrives in the other hemisphere. In six months the sun will cross the equator again, return to the northern hemisphere, bringing spring in the north and autumn in the south.

It is now official: Autumn is here. Time to greet him with autumnal recipes, cozy cozy afternoons and, of course, irresistibly delicious hot drinks.

Sources: RND