As each year passes, the pizza industry sees new trends emerge, and 2023 is certainly not an outlier. At Crust & Craft Pizzeria, we stay ahead by keeping track of what flavors are captivating pizza aficionados across the world. Below is our list of this year's most engaging and beloved pizza toppings.
1. Fermented Vegetables
Gut health's increasing importance has entered the realm of pizza making, with fermented vegetables surprisingly topping pizzas everywhere. Tangy tastes from kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions are a hit, enriching the heartiness of cheesey pizzas with their complex flavors. These toppings are not only healthful for their probiotics but they're also broadening the textural landscape of the traditional pie.
Fermentation Fiesta, our newest pizza, showcases our in-house sauerkraut, kimchi, and gorgonzola, all artfully balanced with a honey drizzle from nearby sources. While it may seem unconventional, it's swiftly ascended to become one of our most popular specialty pizzas.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
The trend for plant-based diets is stronger than ever, evidenced by the surging demand for meat-free options on pizzas. Moving beyond regular vegetable toppings, the advent of plant-based proteins has unveiled alternatives that have won over steadfast carnivores.
Our menu now includes things like plant-based Italian sausage bits, marinated tempeh, jackfruit 'pulled pork', and 'pepperoni' made from pea protein. These toppings appeal not only to vegetarians but also to those keen on novelties and a lighter fare.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
For those who love a bit of spice, 2023 has marked the year that pizza lovers started seeking out specific regional chilies over the common red pepper flakes. Calabrian chilies are still favorites, and now we're seeing the likes of Aleppo pepper, smoky Spanish ñora chilies, Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang make their way onto pizzas.
Our Worldwide Zest pizza offers a blend of four distinct chilies, each lending its special flavor to a quadrant of the pizza, creating a fiery gastronomic tour popular with our boldest customers.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
The concept of farm-to-table has evolved, now embracing the forest with the trend of using seasonal foraged ingredients. Wild mushrooms like chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods are at the forefront, appearing on pizzas during their natural growing seasons.
We're not just talking about mushrooms though. We've been playing with wild leeks known as ramps, oceanic plants such as dulse and nori, and even fragrant spruce tips, adding their unique flavors that aren't available from cultivated crops.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
The contrasting flavors of honey on pizza have solidified their stay in the pizza scene, going beyond just a simple trend. Special varieties of honey are being liberally added to pizzas in 2023, following hot honey's surge in popularity in recent times.
Our menu features unique kinds of honey like truffle honey, fermented garlic honey, mesquite honey with its smokey essence, and honey infused with beneficial compounds. These gourmet drizzles add depth and sophistication, transforming even the most basic pizzas into a luxurious experience.
Honorable Mentions
Other toppings that didn't quite make the top five but still deserve a mention include:
- Grated cured egg yolks, adding a regal finishing touch to the pizza
- Pickled stone fruits such as peaches and plums providing a sharp twist
- Heritage grains for that crunch, including crispy farro or puffed sorghum
- Rich dabs of artisanal butters, like cultured or herb-infused varieties
Whether your preference lies with time-honored classics or you're open to trying pioneering flavor pairings, pizza remains an infinitely versatile and beloved dish. At Crust & Craft Pizzeria, we pay our respects to the old ways while heartily welcoming new innovations, which is why our menu offers both the ageless Margherita and trailblazing specialty pizzas.
Have any of these current toppings caught your fancy? Or perhaps you have a distinctive blend in mind that you'd love for us to introduce? Share your thoughts in the comments or on your next visit!