Everyone’s favourite – the #Trending Taste Test – is back. This time, we’re trying Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, the American ‘fall’ obsession that recently hit Mzansi’s sunny shores.
Pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks are a huge deal in the US, especially around “Fall” (Autumn). Apparently, white girls really like them, and there’s even a meme that says, “If you look in the mirror and say ‘pumpkin spice latte’ three times, a white, suburban girl in yoga pants will appear and tell you everything she loves about fall.”
The lattes have now hit South Africa and, naturally, #Trending had to try them. Here’s what we thought:
Your face deserves it
I should make a few disclaimers: I love lattes, mainly because I can’t stand the burnt-forest taste of “good” coffee. So I pay for baristas to add yummy, flavoured, sugar-laden syrups at the bottom to make them palatable. I am a “real” coffee drinker’s worst nightmare, and proudly so. The other disclaimer is that I love coffee drinks with a cinnamon taste, so the pumpkin spice latte sounded like a combination of all the things I, as a caffeine heathen, enjoy.
I took my first sip expecting a wonderful strong mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, but the taste was in turn quite low key. Turns out all of the syrup and spices sit at the bottom of the cup and hit you in the face like a pumpkin bomb (except less messy). If only the wonderful fake pumpkin flavour could be distributed evenly. The cream on top seems a little excessive, so I had mine without. If sweet cinnamon lattes are your thing, like me, your face deserves one of these. – Gugulethu Mhlungu
Way too much sugar
As a white girl, I had to throw myself wholeheartedly into this endeavour of trying the so-called “white girl staple drink”, the pumpkin spice latte. At first sip, I was swept away. It was delicious and creamy, and all the beautiful spices worked perfectly. I was ready to put on yoga pants and take Instagrams about Fall.
But by the fifth sip, I started to feel queasy. The beverage is sweet, extremely sweet. A Google search revealed that the “grande” size has about 50g of sugar – that’s 10 teaspoons! I poured the rest of my latte down the sink. Sorry, white girls everywhere, I have failed you. – Grethe Kemp
It’s too… American!
OMG, this is delicious! That’s the first thought that enters my dozy mind on Tuesday morning when I take my first few sips (ever) of this American favourite. It’s like liquid ginger biscuits, and swirling with cream.
OMG, I’m gonna die! That’s the next thought, similar to when I took my first bite of a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Anything this sickeningly delicious is always accompanied by its bestie, the heart attack. As I drink the latte, I become increasingly unhappy. It’s too rich, too sweet, too artificial, too cloying, too … American.
Never again. I am going back to my regular, strong, black Robusta in the morning. Yes, I’ve read Austrian research that says that people who drink black coffee are more likely to be psychopaths. I’ll take my chances. – Charl Blignaut.