In a Sea of Pumpkin Spiced Foods, Kraft Still Manages to Surprise Us
The internet is divided on Pumpkin Spice Kraft Mac & Cheese.
@kraftmacncheese/Twitter
Just when you thought the pumpkin spice craze couldn’t get any weirder (remember pumpkin spice chicken wings? Yeah … that happened.) Kraft, maker of tried-and-true and totally predictable packaged products, has set a new bar for pumpkin-flavored peculiarity: pumpkin spice boxed macaroni and cheese.
The new Pumpkin Spice Kraft Mac & Cheese was initially introduced exclusively in Canada — perhaps because, as we recently learned, Canada is the mac and cheese capital of the world. (Note: They call it “Kraft Dinner” there.) But then Kraft announced plans to bring the boundary-pushing pasta product to the United States as well.
“Ever wondered what KD with Pumpkin Spice would taste like? Like if your mac and cheese had hints of cinnamon, dashes of allspice, and layers of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves all slathered in KD cheese?” the company wondered on a promotional page on which it announced it would be giving away 1,000 free boxes to “lucky Canadians” in October. “Probably not, but we made it anyway.”
Alas, the U.S. sweepstakes in which Kraft promised to give away boxes of its new fall-inspired mac and cheese is now closed. Yet given the popularity of all things PSL, it doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility that it will somehow, someday become more widely available.
Although, in an e-mail to Food Network, a PR representative shared, “At this time, we're unfortunately only able to give away product through the social contest.” So those with curious palates may have to wait until next season to see it on store shelves.
But how are people even responding to the idea of Kraft Mac & Cheese with a pumpkin twist? You’re not the first to wonder. (Or the first to try it: Here’s a much more appetizing pumpkin and mac and cheese mashup.)
“Who’d give it a try?!” Kraft wondered on Twitter, surveying consumers by asking them to choose three possible responses.
Of the 16,570 people who weighed in with votes, 25.1 percent said, “Yaaaaasss!”; 22.9 percent said, "Pumpkin Spice Everything”; and 52.1 percent offered a cautious but game, “Hm, I’d give it a shot!”
To be fair, those three choices don’t offer a lot of room for dissent or disgust. But those, along with more positive views, could definitely be found in the comment section:
“Gross,” one person weighed in.
“Sounds totally disgusting!” wrote another. “Why not do pickle flavor while you’re at it.”
To that commenter we say, please don’t give them any ideas.
Related Content:
