There are some surprising things you may not know about the drink though, some of which you might wish you never heard.

雖然有一些令人驚訝的事情你可能不知道的飲料，其中一些你可能希望你從來沒有聽說過。

Let's pull the lid off this fall-flavored treat.

讓我們來揭開這個秋天味道的點心的蓋子。

When the world fell head over heels in love with Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte over a decade ago, there was not a single teaspoon of real pumpkin to be found in the concoction.

十多年前，當全世界都對星巴克的南瓜香料拿鐵愛不釋手的時候，在這杯飲料中找不到一茶匙真正的南瓜。

But in 2014, thanks in part to controversial blogger Vani Hari, aka the Food Babe, who brought this piece of "scandalous" information front and center, consumers took issue.

但在2014年，一定程度上要歸功於有爭議的博主Vani Hari，也就是美食寶貝，她將這一 "醜聞 "資訊推到了前臺，引起了消費者的質疑。

This revelation shouldn't have been too surprising considering that what we acknowledge as "pumpkin-flavored" is typically just a mixture of spices.

考慮到我們所承認的 "南瓜味 "通常只是一種香料的混合物，這個啟示不應該太令人驚訝。

But still, the pressure was on to get some actual pumpkin into the pumpkin spice latte.

但還是要在南瓜香料拿鐵中加入一些真正的南瓜，壓力很大。

But does real pumpkin puree mixed with coffee even...work?

但是，真正的南瓜泥和咖啡混合在一起......有用嗎？

In 2015, Starbucks proved that it does when they revamped the latte's recipe and added real pumpkin.

2015年，星巴克證明了這一點，他們改造了拿鐵的配方，並加入了真正的南瓜。

Since its inception in 2003, the coffee drink had never undergone a formula change, but today their pumpkin spice sauce includes pumpkin puree.

自2003年成立以來，這款咖啡飲品從未進行過配方上的改變，但如今他們的南瓜香料醬包括南瓜泥。

Granted, it comes after sugar and condensed skim milk on the ingredient list, but hey, it's real pumpkin nonetheless.

當然，它在配料表上排在糖和煉乳之後，但嘿，它還是真正的南瓜。

- We are all looking at this and thinking 'I don't know why, but I simply have to drink that.

- 我們都在看這個，心想'不知道為什麼，但我就是要喝這個。

Along with the fact that it contained no real pumpkin, blogger Vani Hari also took issue with other ingredients used to make the PSL, most notably "caramel color IV."

除了它不含真正的南瓜，博主Vani Hari還對製作PSL的其他成分提出了質疑，最明顯的是 "焦糖色IV"。

The Food Babe made the claim that this additive was, quote, "made with ammonia and considered a carcinogen," with two doses of the stuff going into every cup.

食品貝貝提出，這種添加劑的說法是，"用氨水做的，被認為是致癌物"，每杯裡都要放兩劑東西。

With the news of this "toxic" ingredient being used in their PSLs, the "Food Babe Army" was up in arms, but was this claim baseless?

隨著這種 "有毒 "成分被用在他們的PSL中的消息傳出，"吃貨大軍 "們紛紛起鬨，但這種說法是否毫無根據呢？

According to Snopes, the popular rumor-debunking site, caramel color IV is a common food additive, and the FDA considers it safe.

據熱門闢謠網站Snopes報道，焦糖色IV是一種常見的食品添加劑，FDA認為它是安全的。

However, safe as it may be, when Starbucks added real pumpkin to the PSL in 2015, they also removed the caramel coloring from the formula.

不過，雖然安全，但當星巴克在2015年將真正的南瓜加入PSL時，他們也取消了配方中的焦糖色素。

Now that we're slurping up PSLs containing real live pumpkin and zero caramel coloring, it's basically like drinking raw kale juice, right?

現在我們啜飲含有真正活南瓜和零焦糖色素的PSL，基本上就像喝甘藍原汁一樣吧？

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but nope.

很抱歉告訴你這個壞消息，但是沒有。

Registered dietitian Jessica Cording told Yahoo Health, "Adding pumpkin puree to these products does not elevate them to 'health food' status."

註冊營養師傑西卡-科丁告訴雅虎健康："在這些產品中添加南瓜泥並不能將它們提升到'健康食品'的地位。"

She notes that the inclusion of the ingredient may provide a small amount of vitamins A and C, along with some fiber, but also stresses that the benefits are negligible.

她指出，該成分的加入可能會提供少量的維生素A和C，以及一些纖維，但也強調好處可以忽略不計。

Thanks to the sugar content of these types of coffee drinks, it's hard to consider them anything but dessert.

由於這類咖啡飲料的糖分含量，除了甜點之外，很難認為它們是什麼。

Consider this: A Tall Pumpkin Spice Latte made with 2 percent milk and topped with whipped cream contains a whopping 39 grams of sugar, 11 grams of fat, and 300 calories.

考慮到這一點。一杯高高的南瓜香料拿鐵加2%的牛奶 再加上鮮奶油 含有高達39克的糖 11克的脂肪和300卡路里。

Need some context?

需要一些背景嗎？

The American Heart Association recommends limiting your daily added sugar intake to 25 grams for women and 36 grams for men, so with one 12-ounce drink, you've consumed more than your share for the day.

美國心臟協會建議將每天的添加糖攝入量限制在女性25克，男性36克，所以，一杯12盎司的飲料，你已經消耗了超過你一天的份額。

Maybe it's a good thing the PSL is only available for a few months of the year.

也許這是件好事，PSL一年中只有幾個月可以使用。

What is it about the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte that makes us weak in the knees?

星巴克南瓜香料拿鐵為什麼會讓我們膝蓋發軟？

For that answer, we need to look to the brain.

要想知道這個答案，我們需要從大腦中尋找。

According to NBC News Health and Nutrition Editor, Madelyn Fernstrom, there are three reasons we can't quit the PSL.

根據NBC新聞健康與營養編輯Madelyn Fernstrom的說法，有三個原因讓我們無法放棄PSL。

First of all, fat plus sugar scientifically equals bliss.

首先，脂肪加糖在科學上等於幸福。

Fernstrom says that the combination of fat and sugar basically do a dance on our taste buds and cause flavors to be more intense, particularly the nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon.

費恩斯特倫說，脂肪和糖的結合基本上會在我們的味蕾上跳舞，使味道更加濃郁，尤其是肉豆蔻、丁香和肉桂的味道。

Add in a hefty dose of salt, or as Fernstrom calls it, "nature's most powerful food enhancer," and those flavors are amped up even more.

再加上大量的鹽，或者像Fernstrom所說的 "自然界最強大的食物增強劑"，這些味道就會更加濃郁。

The bottom line is simple: "People love tasty drinks, and taste is number one on why people choose foods."

底線很簡單。"人們喜歡美味的飲料，而味道是人們選擇食物的首要原因。"

- I'm going downstairs to get a coffee.

- 我下樓去喝杯咖啡。

- You want anything?

- 你想要什麼？

- Pumpkin spice, please.

- 南瓜香料，請。

- Great.

- 厲害

Another reason is because most people just love fall, plain and simple.

另一個原因是，大多數人就是喜歡秋天，很簡單。

We associate the season with holiday traditions and flavors, and when we smell or taste those telltale autumnal spices contained in a PSL, our brains connect it to happy memories.

我們將這個季節與節日傳統和味道聯繫在一起，當我們聞到或嚐到PSL中含有的那些明顯的秋季香料時，我們的大腦就會將它與快樂的記憶聯繫在一起。

Other people, though, are just connected to the buzz.

不過，其他人只是與熱鬧有關。

Why else?

不然為什麼？

We know that caffeine addiction is a real thing, and our brains tell our bodies to revolt if we don't get our fix.

我們知道咖啡因成癮是一件真實的事情，我們的大腦告訴我們的身體，如果我們沒有得到我們的固定。

The energy boost we get from a PSL is just one of the things that keeps us coming back for more.

我們從PSL中獲得的能量提升只是讓我們不斷回來的原因之一。

- I need coffee.

- 我需要咖啡

- Extra strong.

- 特強。

- Double caf.

- 雙人咖啡館。

- Triple caf.

- 三個咖啡館。

- No!

- 不！

- Forget the caf, throw in the whole cow and serve it to this man right here.

- 忘了咖啡館吧，把整頭牛扔進去，然後給這個人吃。

It's hard to imagine that ardent fans could ever choose another pumpkin-flavored coffee over their beloved Starbucks PSL, but it happens more often than you might think when put to the test against competitor's lattes.

很難想象狂熱的粉絲會選擇另一種南瓜味的咖啡，而不是他們心愛的星巴克PSL，但當把它與競爭對手的拿鐵進行測試時，它發生的頻率比你想象的要高。

Cosmopolitan conducted a blind taste test using pumpkin spice lattes from Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, and McDonald's, and the results will come as a shock.

Cosmopolitan用Dunkin' Donuts、星巴克和麥當勞的南瓜香料拿鐵進行了一次盲品測試，結果會讓人大跌眼鏡。

Overwhelmingly, Starbucks ranked dead last, with tasters noting its similarities to a candle.

壓倒性的是，星巴克排名倒數第一，品嚐者指出其與蠟燭的相似之處。

According to one taster, "Imagine taking a pumpkin spice candle, melting the wax into a liquid, and then mixing said liquid with warm milk. That is what drinking the Starbucks' PSL tasted like to me."

據一位品嚐者說："想象一下，拿一根南瓜香料蠟燭，把蠟融化成液體，然後把上述液體與溫牛奶混合。這就是我喝星巴克的PSL的味道。"

"Not here for it."

"不是為這個來的。"

The winner?

贏家是誰？

McDonald's, by a landslide.

麥當勞，以壓倒性的優勢。

In a similar test conducted by the Las Vegas Review Journal, tasters routinely chose lattes that weren't Starbucks, with even 7-Eleven besting the apparent front-runner in one case.

在《拉斯維加斯評論雜誌》進行的一項類似測試中，品嚐者們經常選擇不是星巴克的拿鐵，甚至有一次7-Eleven都比明顯的領跑者更好。

One taster remarked upon the reveal, "I think I'm surprised by the Starbucks, because I just…I don't know…I thought it would be better."

一位試飲者在揭曉後表示："我想我對星巴克感到驚訝，因為我只是......我不知道......我以為會更好。"

Ouch.

疼。

If we were to believe the countless #PSL mentions on Twitter and Instagram, it would not be unreasonable to assume that people are draining their savings accounts to support their habits.

如果我們相信Twitter和Instagram上無數的#PSL提及，那麼假設人們正在耗盡他們的儲蓄賬戶來支持他們的習慣並不是沒有道理的。

But does the social media hype really line up with the statistics?

但社交媒體的炒作真的符合數據嗎？

Yes and no.

是，也不是。

Yes, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is Starbucks' most popular seasonal drink, and a huge number of them have been sold.

是的，南瓜香料拿鐵是星巴克最受歡迎的季節性飲品，已經售出了大量的南瓜香料拿鐵。

And yes, according to The NDB Group, a global information company, a consumer purchasing a Pumpkin Spice Latte does tend to spend more money per transaction, thanks to food add-ons.

沒錯，根據全球資訊公司The NDB Group的數據，購買南瓜香料拿鐵的消費者確實傾向於每次交易花費更多的錢，這要歸功於食品附加值。

However, when it comes to frequency of purchase, only a small percentage of consumers actually buy multiple PSLs in one season.

然而，在購買頻率方面，只有一小部分消費者真正在一個季節內購買了多件PSL。

They say 72 percent bought just one, about 20 percent bought two, and, surprisingly, only eight percent bought three or more.

他們說，72%的人只買了一個，約20%的人買了兩個，令人驚訝的是，只有8%的人買了三個或更多。

Basically, we all like to talk about our love for the PSL more than we like to actually buy them.

基本上，我們都喜歡談論自己對PSL的喜愛，而不是喜歡實際購買。

You're not imagining it: The PSL does consistently launch in the summer, specifically late August and early September.

你沒有想象中的那樣。PSL確實一直在夏季推出，特別是8月底9月初。

Sure, fall starts on September 22, but since 2011, the official launch of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte has happened no later than September 8, still summer.

當然，秋天是從9月22日開始的，但從2011年開始，星巴克南瓜香料拿鐵的正式上市時間不晚於9月8日，還是夏天。

But is it happening earlier and earlier each year as media outlets tend to proclaim every august?

但是，每年的8月，是不是像媒體往往宣稱的那樣，越來越早的發生呢？

No, it's not.

不，它不是。

Business Insider tracked the PSL launch date over the years, and since 2015 it has actually been released later than years prior.

商業內幕》追蹤了多年來PSL的發佈日期，從2015年開始，它的發佈時間其實比前幾年都要晚。

Sorry, newscasters, you're going to have to find something new to complain about.

對不起，新聞主播，你得找點新的東西來抱怨了。

Even if this rumor were true, there is no shortage of those willing to drink a fall-flavored coffee no matter what the temperature or season.

即使這個傳言是真的，也不乏願意喝秋天口味咖啡的人，無論什麼溫度，什麼季節。

NBC News talked to PSL lovers in sunny Los Angeles, one of whom proclaimed, "There is something so inherently fall about pumpkin spice."

NBC新聞在陽光明媚的洛杉磯與PSL愛好者進行了交流，其中一位愛好者宣稱："南瓜香料有一種與生俱來的秋天的感覺。"

"Even when it's 100 degrees outside, it can make you think of cool weather, the leaves changing colors and [wearing] boots."

"即使外面是100度，也能讓你想到涼爽的天氣、樹葉變色和[穿]靴子。"

So enough griping about the PSL being available during the summer.

所以，不要再抱怨PSL在夏天可以使用了。

Who votes for putting it on the menu year round?

誰投票贊成把它放在一年四季的菜單上？

Check out one of our newest videos right here!

看看我們最新的視頻吧!

Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite seasonal food items are coming soon.

此外，更多關於您最喜愛的季節性食品的Mashed視頻即將推出。

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.

訂閱我們的YouTube頻道並按下鈴聲，這樣你就不會錯過任何一個節目。