With each new year, pizza connoisseurs witness the advent of fresh flavors, and 2023 is no different. At Crust & Craft Pizzeria, we closely track global pizza-eating preferences. Allow us to present the top pizza toppings that are currently the buzz of the town.
1. Fermented Vegetables
Emphasis on digestive wellness has influenced pizza crafters to top their creations with fermented veggies, offering a pleasantly sharp twist to the cheesy, saucy base. Kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions are not just imbuing pizzas with probiotics but also adding a new layer of texture.
Take for example our Ferment Fiesta pizza, a delight with home-fermented sauerkraut, kimchi, and sharp gorgonzola, mellowed with a sweet hint of local honey. This blend may be nontraditional, but it's soaring in demand.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
The shift toward vegetables has opened the door for meat substitutes to take prime spots on pizza toppings. Moving past common veggies, we're witnessing meat mimics so convincing, they're favored even by carnivores.
Alternatives like faux Italian sausage made from plants, seasoned cubes of tempeh, jackfruit prepared as pulled pork, and pea-based pepperoni have become staples on our menu. Customers opt for these toppings not just for their environmental footprint but also for their distinct taste profiles.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
Those with a penchant for heat are exploring specific types of regional chilies rather than settling for simple pepper flakes. Alongside the consistently popular Calabrian chili, distinctive selections like Aleppo pepper, Spanish ñora, Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang sauce are now gracing pizzas.
Our International Zest pizza is a medley of these diverse chilies, assigning each a quadrant of the pie, offering a piquant journey that's particularly well-received by our more daring clientele.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
The path from wilderness to pizza is becoming well-trodden as foraged, seasonal ingredients gain steam. Leading the way are wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods, showcased when in season.
Outside of mushrooms, we've dabbled with wild leeks or ramps, sea greens like dulse and nori, and fragrant spruce tips. Foragers’ finds boast flavors that cultivated alternatives simply cannot match.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
Honey drizzles are becoming a mainstay thanks to their sweet balance against savory notes. Unique honey varieties such as truffle-infused, fermented garlic, mesquite, and even CBD-enhanced honey are bringing a level of sophistication to pizzas.
These final strokes of culinary genius are gracing pizzeria menus far and wide, catapulting even the simplest pizza to an artisanal experience.
Honorable Mentions
Although not in our top five, the following garnishes are creating a buzz:
- Grated cured egg yolks, dusted atop like flecks of sunshine
- Tart pickled fruits, with a nod to stone fruits such as peaches and plums
- Ancient grains for crunch, like crisp farro or puffed sorghum
- Dollops of specialty butter, in varieties such as cultured or herbal compound
Whether you're a devotee of timeless classics or thrive on the excitement of novel flavors, the pizza remains an infinitely versatile culinary canvas. At Crust & Craft Pizzeria, we pay homage to time-honored methods while wholeheartedly adopting the new—which is why our menu embraces both the staple Margherita and pioneering specialty pizzas.
Have any of these trendy toppings landed on your plate recently? Or perhaps you have an inventive flavor pairing you're eager for us to try? Share your thoughts in the comments, or during your next visit!