Each new year unveils fresh trends in the pizza sector, and 2023 is no different. At Crust & Craft Pizzeria, our goal is to keep an eye on the flavors that are currently winning over the palates of pizza enthusiasts all over the world. We’ve put together a list of this year's most thrilling and favored pizza toppings that are currently trending.
1. Pickled Vegetables
The wellness trend around gut health has spilled over into pizza kitchens, with pickled veggies emerging as a surprising fan favorite on pies in the current year. Flavors ranging from the tanginess of kimchi, sauerkraut, to pickled onions are combining wonderfully with the creamy cheese and savory sauces. Not only do these toppings offer a dose of probiotics, but they also introduce a fresh, textural twist to the pizza experience.
The Fermentation Fiesta pizza boasts a combination of homemade sauerkraut, kimchi, and creamy gorgonzola, all tied together with a touch of local bee's nectar to offset the sour notes. This fusion of flavors might seem quirky, but it's quickly gaining a fanbase among our specialty pizza offerings.
2. Meat-Free Protein Sources
As more diners adopt plant-based diets, there's been a substantial increase in the demand for pizzas topped with inventive meat substitutes. Expanding beyond common veggie toppings, the introduction of next-gen meat-free proteins offer mouth-watering alternatives that even staunch carnivores appreciate.
We now serve up a cornucopia of plant-derived proteins like crumbled Italian sausage alternatives, flavorful marinated tempeh, tantalizing jackfruit as a stand-in for pulled pork, and pea protein crafted to mimic pepperoni. These additions cater to more than just plant-eaters—they're a hit for their distinctive tastes and for being easier on the stomach.
3. Exotic Chili peppers
Fans of spice are celebrating, as 2023 has seen a keen interest in pizzas adorned with specific pepper varieties, moving beyond the run-of-the-mill crushed red pepper. Calabrian peppers hold onto their charm from the past years, but we're also observing the rise of exotic varieties like the Aleppo pepper, smokey Spanish ñora, aromatic Peruvian aji amarillo, and the spicy Korean gochujang paste.
Our International Heatwave pizza is an exciting choice, featuring a quartet of distinct chilis, each lending its particular flavor profile to different sections of the pie, proving to be a hit with our daring taste testers.
4. Foraged Seasonal Findings
The path from the forest floor to pizza plate has become more traveled with the burgeoning appeal of foraged, seasonal ingredients. Leading the charge are wild mushrooms—chanterelles, morels, and maitakes are showing up more frequently during their peak season.
Apart from fungi, our exploratory pizzas have seen toppings like wild leeks, oceanic greens such as dulse and nori, and even fragrant spruce tips, offering our customers flavors that are truly a product of nature and can't be reproduced on farms.
5. Unique Honey Infusions
The interplay of sweet and savory from honey has firmly rooted itself as much more than a transitory fad. Riding on the heels of the hot honey movement in recent years, 2023 has welcomed a surge of unique honey types being drizzled onto pizzas before they're served.
Pizzas are now being adorned with luxurious varieties like truffle-infused honey, fermented garlic honey, sweet and smoky mesquite honey, and even CBD-enhanced honey. These final touches contribute to an intricate flavor spectrum and turn even the simplest pizza into a gourmet creation.
Honorable Mentions
Several other toppings that narrowly missed our top list but are still creating a splash include:
- Preserved egg yolks, grated finely over the pie for a dusting of umami
- Marinated fruits, with a particular nod to stone fruits such as apricots and cherries
- Ancient grain garnishes, like crunchy farro or puff sorghum adding a new texture
- Dollops of handcrafted butters – from cultured to herb-enriched varieties
No matter if you're someone who cherishes the time-honored classics or a culinary adventurer eager for innovative flavors, pizza stays the ultimate customizable delight loved globally. At Crust & Craft Pizzeria, we celebrate the traditional while wholeheartedly adopting the avant-garde, which is why our menu sports both the iconic Margherita and kaleidoscopic, trailblazing pies.
Which of these trendsetting toppings have you sampled? Or perhaps you have a distinct topping combination in mind that you'd love to see on our menu? Share with us in the comments or drop us a line during your next visit!