It’s that time of year again when you can’t drive two blocks without spotting a pumpkin. Ever wonder, “Where do all these pumpkins come from?” Here in my Dallas neighborhood, they seem to multiply overnight—porches, doorsteps, markets—everywhere! Sure, you’ve got your classic round orange ones, but there’s also a rainbow of shapes and sizes that blur the line between squash and gourd. And that’s just one neighborhood!

I’ll admit it: I’m a total pumpkin-season groupie.

The moment I spot the first pumpkin display at the grocery store, I’m off to Starbucks for my favorite fall combo—a pumpkin spice latte and a pumpkin cream cheese muffin. Don’t ask about the calorie count. Trust me, it’s better to live in blissful ignorance when something tastes that good.

Pumpkin Trivia to Impress Your Friends

Want to be the star of your next trivia night? Here are some pumpkin facts you can casually drop between sips of cider.

Pumpkins belong to the genus Cucurbita—yep, the same family as squash and gourds. They’ve been around since Mesoamerican times, about 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, spreading from indigenous peoples across the globe.

Today, China is the world’s pumpkin powerhouse, followed by India. But the U.S. doesn’t need imports—we grow hundreds of millions of pounds right here at home. Illinois takes the pumpkin crown, with Indiana, Pennsylvania, California, and Michigan close behind.

Most of our pumpkins go into puree and pumpkin seeds (both delicious and healthy), while the rest become your festive front-porch Jack-O’-Lanterns.

Speaking of puree, don’t be fooled into thinking canned pumpkin is unhealthy. In fact, it’s a vitamin A superstar—just half a cup gives you your full daily value, thanks to beta-carotene. Fresh pumpkins ripen at the end of summer and fade out after November, but puree and seeds are your ticket to pumpkin goodness all year long.

My Pumpkin Shopping Spree

In the name of research (and maybe obsession), I hit several grocery stores to see just how many pumpkin-flavored treats I could find this season. I started with about 50 products…and found even more after that!

Trader Joe’s won the pumpkin sweepstakes with the widest variety—pumpkin butter, pumpkin sandwich cookies, pumpkin cookie dough, cheesecake, brioche, bread, coffee, pancake and waffle mix, croissants, bagels, biscotti, brownies, bundt cakes, Little Debbie Pumpkin Spice Rolls, spicy pumpkin samosas, and even pumpkin tortilla chips! (If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, many of these goodies pop up online or in other grocery chains.)

I tried to pace myself, sampling a few over time—lesson learned from my stint as a State Fair of Texas cookie judge, when I got a serious sugar overload in front of the contestants!

My surprise favorite? The pumpkin tortilla chips. Crispy, slightly savory, no sugar, and only 150 calories for nine good-sized chips. The pumpkin spice coffee, on the other hand, wasn’t my favorite—I prefer my brew straight-up—but I did love the cozy blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla beans.

Savor It While It Lasts

Pumpkin season is fleeting, so go ahead and indulge (in moderation, of course).

Read those labels, enjoy the flavors, and stock up before December rolls around and the shelves turn back to peppermint and gingerbread.

If you’re a pumpkin devotee like me, you’ll say a bittersweet goodbye to your favorite treats as the year winds down—and eagerly count the days until pumpkin season returns. In the meantime, get creative in your own kitchen with pumpkin puree recipes. Who knows? Maybe your creation will land you a feature on our Crazy Good Ageing Pumpkin Podcast next fall!

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