You may have already started seeing pumpkin spice drinks and snacks at shops and eateries in Michigan — as clear a signal of the coming fall as changing leaves or cooling temperatures.

The return of pumpkin spice-flavored anything and everything has become a rite of passage marking the start of autumn nationwide, including in Michigan. Grocery stores, coffeehouses, bakeries and beyond will offer a range of sweet treats, savory bites and rich beverages all centered around the spices.

Often associated with Starbucks' popular Pumpkin Spice Latte or sweet treats like pumpkin spice muffins, donuts and cookies, the spice blend's origins trace back several centuries to the colonial era in North America, according to various historians.

The name can be a bit misleading — pumpkin spice doe

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