The culinary landscape for pizza is constantly evolving, and the year 2023 has seen its fair share of emerging favorites. At SoftAnchor, it's our job to keep a pulse on the preferences of pizza aficionados worldwide. We've compiled a list of the top trending pizza add-ons that are currently the rage.
1. Fermented Vegetables
Gastric wellness has carved out a niche in the pizza industry, with fermented vegetables quickly gaining popularity as a top pizza inclusion this year. Fermented delights such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions offer complex, tangy tastes that perfectly complement the creamy cheese and savoury sauce. These toppings are not just tasty; they also supply probiotic advantages and add intriguing textures to the pizza experience.
Our Fermentation Fiesta pizza boasts a selection of in-house sauerkraut, kimchi, and blue cheese, delicately drizzled with regional honey to balance the sour notes. This blend may be unconventional, but it's fast becoming a customer favorite for specialty pizzas.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
The wave of plant-centered diets shows no sign of slowing down, leading to a surge in pizzas adorned with innovative meat substitutes. These aren't just your typical veggie toppings; developments in meatless proteins are offering options that satisfy the taste buds of even staunch carnivores.
Meatless options such as Italian sausage made from plants, flavorful tempeh, pulled pork from marinated jackfruit, and pepperoni crafted from pea protein are now staples in our kitchen. Opting for these proteins isn't limited to those avoiding meat—they're chosen by many for their distinct tastes and gentler effects on digestion.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
For those who love a bit of spice, 2023 is a year of celebration, with pizza enthusiasts seeking out specific types of chilies over generic red pepper flakes. While Calabrian chilies continue to be well-loved, varieties like Aleppo pepper, Spanish smoky ñora, Peruvian fruity aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang are becoming popular pizza toppings.
Our International Heat pizza offers a blend of four different chilies from various regions, each contributing its distinctive taste to different sections of the pizza. This spicy journey is particularly liked by our customers who prefer a bold flavor adventure.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
The connection from nature to the kitchen has been deepened by the increasing inclusion of seasonally foraged items directly onto pizzas. Topping the trend are wild mushrooms, with sought-after types like chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods mushrooms making repeated appearances during their natural growing seasons.
Our forage adventures led us to include wild ramps (spring onions), sea vegetables such as dulse and nori, and spruce tips for an exceptional touch of aroma. These naturally sourced ingredients offer diners a unique taste that cultivated produce can't match.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
The interplay of sweet and savory notes heightened by honey has now become ingrained in gourmet pizza culture. Building on the enthusiasm for spicy honey, 2023 has seen various unique honey types applied to pizzas right before serving.
Flavors like truffle-imbued honey, honey infused with fermented garlic, honey with a smoked mesquite touch, and even CBD-enriched honey are making appearances on menus nationwide. These gourmet honey options add a punch of sophistication, transforming even the more straightforward pizzas into a connoisseur's delight.
Honorable Mentions
There are other toppings that almost made it to our top picks but are still worth mentioning for their impact:
- Cured egg yolks finely grated over pizza, giving a dusting of rich flavor
- Pickled fruits, particularly those from stone fruit families like apricots and cherries
- Whole grains such as crunchy farro or puffed sorghum that add a textural twist
- Buttery dollops, especially those with cultures or infused with herbs
Whether you cling to traditional choices or you're eager to explore innovative pairings, pizza remains endlessly customizable and universally cherished. At SoftAnchor, our menu honors both time-honored recipes like the Margherita and the daring culinary creativity that brings forth avant-garde pie selections.
Have you sampled any of these modern topping selections? Or perhaps you have a novel topping duo in mind that you'd love to see us feature? Share your thoughts in the comments, or drop us a line when you visit next time!