Beware Pumpkin Spice, Pecan Is Gaining on You

At this point, "pumpkin spice" is so ingrained in the culture of autumn that it's not about to go away anytime soon. But after crunching its delivery data, DoorDash has named a different "top fall flavor" of the year—pecan. Related orders are up nearly 30% year after year, and the Food Institute notes that pecan-themed products are popping up all over, from Snickers Pecan candy bars to Pecan Oatmilk Cortado, from Starbucks, of course. The DoorDash analysis finds that pecan is particularly popular in Texas, where it has emerged as the "signature fall flavor." That's currently the only state where it's No. 1, however. Elsewhere, pumpkin, caramel, and apple dominate the landscape.

"This year, pecan proved it's more than just pie," per the analysis. "From lattes and butter pecan cheesecake to braided pastries and sweet potato mashups," it's showing up a lot. Not that pumpkin spice is slouching: Latte orders peaked on August 19, two years earlier than in 2021. Axios assesses all of the above and adds a pronunciation twist: "puh-KAWN," "puh-CAN," and "PEE-can" are in use throughout the US; how you say it may depend on your proximity to native pecan trees. Those with the trees nearby likely say "puh-KAWN" because it's similar to an Algonquian word for nut, a sociolinguist tells the outlet.