Each year, the pizza scene is revitalized with fresh trends, and during 2023, the craze remains steady. Here at NeutralRadius, our team closely observes the evolving preferences of pizza aficionados globally. We're delighted to share the year's most talked-about and beloved pizza toppings.
1. Fermented Vegetables
Digestive health has edged into the pizza realm, with a stunning entrance by fermented vegetables on top of pizzas this year. Additions like kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions provide a robust, tangy zest that balances out the mellow flavors of cheese and sauce. Offering a boost of probiotics, these toppings are a hit for adding an unexpected twist of texture to the classic pizza pie.
The Ferment Fest is our newest creation featuring our own sauerkraut, kimchi, and gorgonzola cheese, all brought together with a dab of local honey to offset the sour notes. This unconventional mix is rapidly turning into our most popular specialty pizzas.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
As more people adopt a plant-forward diet, the demand for pizzas bedecked with innovative meat substitutes has surged. Beyond conventional veggie toppings, new plant-based protein developments are offering alternatives that can even impress staunch carnivores.
Items like plant-derived Italian sausage crumbles, flavorful tempeh, jackfruit pulled pork, and pea protein pepperoni have found a regular spot on our menu. Not solely aimed at vegetarians, these proteins have won customers over with their distinct tastes and a less heavy feeling post-meal.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
Those who seek out fiery flavors are thrilled by the inclination of pizza lovers to pick specific regional chilies over plain red pepper flakes this year. While Calabrian chilies have kept their place in the limelight, spices like Aleppo pepper, savory Spanish ñora chilies, vibrant Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang are now emerging on pizzas.
The Heat from Around the World pizza serves up an array of four distinctive chilies, each one adding its own flavor profile to separate quarters of the pizza. This creation is a spicy journey that our bolder customers can't get enough of.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
The transition from farm-to-table to forest-to-pizza can be seen with the soaring popularity of foraged seasonal edibles. Leading the trend, wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods are appearing on pizzas at the peak of their seasons.
We haven't stopped at mushrooms; we've been incorporating spring ramps, oceanic greens like dulse and nori, and even spruce tips to imbue a unique aromatic layer. These foraged offerings bring our diners closer to nature while delivering tastes that are not possible in cultivated environments.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
The alluring combination of sweet and savory introduced by honey has solidified its presence far beyond a fleeting fashion. In 2023, specialty honey types have burst onto the scene, gracing pizzas with a final drizzle right before they're relished.
With options such as truffle honey, fermented garlic honey, smoky mesquite honey, and CBD-infused honey, these additions infuse a hint of complexity and transform even the simplest pizza into a gourmet experience.
Honorable Mentions
Some additional toppings almost made our top five list. Still, they're worth noting for their distinct impact, including:
- Cured egg yolks grated finely over the pizza surface
- Pickled fruits, particularly stone fruits like peaches and plums
- Ancient grain toppings such as crisp farro or popped sorghum for added crunch
- Artisanal butters, including varieties like cultured or combined with herbs
No matter if you stick to classic tastes or you're up for experimenting with novel flavors, pizza remains an incredibly versatile and cherished dish. At NeutralRadius, we value age-old traditions as much as we do culinary creativity—that's the reason you'll find everything from the timeless Margherita to pioneering specialty recipes on our menu.
Are any of these trending toppings on your taste radar? Are there unique flavors you're curious to try on your next visit? Share with us in the comments or when you stop by next time!