The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes a new wave of flavors and foods. At the forefront of this explosion of holiday foods is EVERYTHING peppermint. Peppermint chocolates, coffee, bark, hot cocoa, syrup, and so many more that have invaded American homes. Every time December rolls around, I have to put up with the same lackluster peppermint “treats.”

Personally, I don’t believe peppermint has lived up to the hype.

Why is peppermint considered the flavor of the holidays, you might ask? Well, according to Eat Like No One Else writer Eric Samuelson, peppermint flavored candies were first given to children in 1670 by a German choirmaster to keep the children occupied at their living Nativity. While this may be a cute story, it’s not exactly applicable today. Peppermint may have had some significance at one point, but this significance has been lost over the years. Now, peppermint is just another boring, average flavor that we must endure every holiday season.

To make matters worse, the peppermint hype distracts people from flavors that should be more popular. What about gingerbread? Not only is the flavor more rich and complex, but it can also be used to do fun activities, such as baking gingerbread men and building gingerbread houses. So many delicious foods are cast aside to make way for the ABOMINATION that is peppermint. In fact, it’s hard to find a holiday sweet that doesn’t have peppermint hidden in its ingredient list.

This December, I’ve decided not to go with the flow. Instead of falling victim to the peppermint infestation, I’ll eat foods and treats that I actually enjoy. If peppermint isn’t cutting it for you, join me and be different this Winter.