Which U.S. Region Is Most Obsessed With Pumpkin Spice?

It’s a pumpkin spice world, and we’re just living in it—especially if you live on the West Coast. A new study from online food delivery service Grubhub shows that the state with the highest number of pumpkin spice orders in 2018 was California, while Washington, Oregon, and Utah were also in the top five.

Maybe California, whose year-long temperate weather somewhat blurs seasonal changes, enthusiastically embraces pumpkin spice offerings as a way of convincing itself that autumn has arrived. If that’s the case, the reason why Washington, Oregon, and Utah all rank so highly remains a mystery.

According to HuffPost, Grubhub’s data may also ease the fear that the pumpkin spice craze will continue to creep into the summer until we’re munching on pumpkin muffins at our Fourth of July picnics. Not even Thanksgiving is enough to propel November to the top spot for pumpkin spice orders; it takes second place behind October, which boasts 118 percent more orders than the offseason months. September rounds out the top three, though unseasonably warm temperatures this year might make you ask for that pumpkin spice latte on ice.

Hot or cold, the pumpkin spice latte is definitely a seasonal mainstay, but there are some other trendy pumpkin spice treats on the rise. Between 2017 and 2018, Grubhub saw a 365 percent spike in orders for pumpkin spice pancakes, followed by a 339 percent jump for pumpkin pie milkshakes; pumpkin spice cheesecakes, cupcakes, and cookies all grew in popularity, too.

Though it sometimes seems like pumpkin spice has established a monopoly on the autumn dessert market, Grubhub’s data shows that other classic fall flavors still see the field. Outside the world of pumpkin spice, caramel apple saw the biggest growth between 2017 and 2018, followed by apple cinnamon, pear, and maple.

For those of you who aren’t cursed with an insatiable sweet tooth (or just need something to balance out all the sugar), Grubhub had a few predictions on which savory foods would likely see an uptick this season: namely, pesto pasta, fried okra, and lemongrass soup.

If you’re a traditionalist who's waiting for the leaves to change color to indicate that it’s time to indulge in every pumpkin spice product out there, find out when fall foliage will peak in your region with this interactive map.

[h/t HuffPost]