Daily Debate: Should the Pumpkin Spice Latte Be A Recipe in Tears of the Kingdom?
Posted on October 19 2022 by Alexis S. Anderson
One thing I am really looking forward to in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is discovering new recipes. For me, cooking was one of the most charming features of Breath of the Wild, but there weren’t a lot of spices in the mix. We had herbs, salt, and Goron spice, but that’s it. So, the opportunity is wide open to include more spices like paprika, allspice, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and many more. If we get cinnamon, and we already had pumpkins and chickaloo tree nuts (basically nutmeg), then we’re well on our way to cooking with the most iconic fall flavor of the modern era: pumpkin spice. Could this pave the way for the pumpkin spice latte in Tears of the Kingdom?
But let’s not get too preoccupied with whether we can, and stop to think whether we should.
The PSL could be a welcome addition in the sense that it would bring in more spices and COFFEE, another element absent from cooking in Breath of the Wild. Imagine the possibilities with new spices and coffee beans, PSL being just one of many new recipes. On top of that, the PSL is a favorite among a subset of the (at least North American) population, so there are a good number of fans who would be delighted at its inclusion. It could even have a special affect, probably “energizing” stamina-wheel-increasing properties, greater than the increase one would get from regular coffee, if included in the game.
On the other hand, something so inextricably tied to Basic Girls™ in the real world showing up in an immersive, fantasy game may be enough to shatter the illusion. If the drink would be too out of place in the land of Hyrule, then it would be best not to include it. And would introducing coffee to the Zelda universe be troublesome for the family-friendly franchise? While we see milk sometimes double for alcohol, the Zelda series hasn’t really represented any real-world “drug”– which caffeine arguably is. Other than that, I don’t see a downside.
Adding the PSL could mean the ability to make many other pumpkin-spiced treats, as well as other flavored lattes. Either way, I am thrilled to see what recipes are added in Tears of the Kingdom.
How would you feel if the incomparable pumpkin spice latte made an appearance in Tears of the Kingdom? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Alexis S. Anderson is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon who joined the writing team in November, 2014. She has a JD from the UCLA School of Law and is pursuing a career in Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law. She grew up in the New Jersey suburbs with her parents, twin brother, and family shih-tzu.
