New pizza topping fashions emerge each year, and 2023 isn't an outlier. At NeutralResourceSpace, keeping tabs on the global preferences of pizza aficionados is our forte. We’ve rounded up this year’s top contenders for most innovative and beloved pizza toppings.
1. Cultured Veggies
The emphasis on digestive well-being has invaded the pizza scene, with cultured veggies becoming a fan favorite. Kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions offer a zesty twist that superbly offsets the lusciousness of cheese and tomato sauce. These toppings not only contribute to gut health with their probiotics but also bring new textural intrigue to classic pizzas.
Queue our Fermentation Fête pizza, decked with in-house sauerkraut, kimchi, and gorgonzola, then lightly drizzled with local honey for a counterbalance to the zest. This fusion may seem exotic, yet it's soaring to the top as a highly coveted specialty pizza.
2. Botanical-Based Meats
The surge in plant-centric diets has led to an uptick in the request for meat substitutes on pizzas. Beyond typical veggie toppings, the advent of botanical proteins has spawned meat impersonators that impress even the staunchest carnivores.
Items like botanical Italian sausage crumbles, spiced tempeh, jackfruit pulled pork, and pea protein pepperoni have become a staple on our menu. These aren't limited to plant-only diets—customers are drawn to their distinctive taste and digestibility.
3. Local Chili Types
Those with a zeal for zest are celebrating! In 2023, pizza lovers are swapping generic red pepper flakes for distinct local chili varieties. Calabrian chilies continue from their previous acclaim, while we're now noticing a preference for Aleppo pepper, smoked Spanish ñora chilies, vibrant Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang on pizzas.
Our World of Spice pizza is a voyage through fiery tastes, sporting a mix of four different local chilies, each setting the flavor stage for sections of the pizza. This experiment in heat has been a crowd-pleaser, particularly among our bolder customers.
4. Wild-Harvested Seasonal Ingredients
The movement from wild to table has given way to the rising trend of seasonal wild-harvested ingredients on pizza. Leading this trend, a variety of mushrooms like chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods grace pizzas during their growth windows.
Our exploration has led us to use wild spring leek ramps, oceanic plants like dulse and nori seaweeds, and spruce tips for their unusual aromatic essence. These ingredients draw diners into the wilderness while offering flavors not found in cultivated produce.
5. Exceptional Honey Garnishes
The harmony of sweet and savory brought on by honey has etched its presence beyond a mere fancy. Continuing the hot honey craze of the past, 2023 has ushered in a variety of specialty honeys gracing pizzas right before they're served.
Variants like truffle honey, aged garlic honey, smoky mesquite honey, and even CBD-infused honey are spreading across pizza establishments nationwide. These prime embellishments deepen the taste profiles, turning even plain pizza combinations into gourmet experiences.
Honorable Mentions
Other toppings that didn't quite make our top list but are still causing ripples include:
- Preserved egg yolks, finely grated over the pizza for a touch of umami richness
- Marinated fruits, particularly stone fruits like peaches and apricots
- Ancient grain garnishes, such as crunchy farro or puffed sorghum adding texture
- Craft butter spots, especially nurtured or herbed butter varieties
No matter if you're a purist cherishing time-honored toppings or a thrill-seeker after novel flavors, pizza remains among the most versatile and adored dishes worldwide. At NeutralResourceSpace, we celebrate both the timeless and the novel—that's why our menu boasts the classic Margherita as well as avant-garde specialty pies.
What are your thoughts on these trending toppings? Or perhaps you have a unique preference you’d love to see in our kitchen? Share with us in the commentary or on your next visit!