The pizza scene experiences a fresh wave of culinary innovations every year, and 2023 is brimming with new trends. At Crust & Craft Pizzeria, keeping an eye on the flavors that pizza aficionados worldwide crave is what we do best. Here's our curated list of top pizza toppings that are currently all the rage.
1. Fermented Vegetables
The attention to gut health has found its way into pizza kitchens, with fermented vegetables now a surprising success atop pizzas. Kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions are lending sophisticated and zesty tastes that balance the creamy cheese and tomato sauce. These fermented additions aren't just beneficial for gut health; they're also introducing captivating new textures to the classic pizza.
Our innovative Fermentation Fest pizza is loaded with our in-house fermented sauerkraut, kimchi, and blue cheese, topped off with a drizzle of local honey to offset the sour notes. The blend may be unorthodox, but its popularity is rapidly growing among our specialty pizzas.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
The surge in plant-based diets has translated into a notable demand for plant-based protein toppings as substitutes for meat. Going beyond the usual veggie toppings, there's been a surge in plant-derived proteins that even win over staunch carnivores.
Options like crumbled plant-based Italian sausage, flavorful tempeh, marinated jackfruit akin to pulled pork, and pea protein pepperoni have become mainstays on our menu. These plant-based choices are winning over not just vegetarians, but anyone who favors their distinct tastes and lighter feel.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
Those with a penchant for spiciness are celebrating! This year, pizza lovers are showing a preference for specific regional chilies over the generic red pepper flakes. Calabrian chilies continue their longstanding fame, while others like the smoky Spanish ñora, fruity Peruvian aji amarillo, and spicy Korean gochujang are beginning to grace pizzas with their presence.
Try our World of Spice pizza, a daring combination of four distinct regional chilies, each providing a unique taste experience in every slice. It's become a favorite among our boldest clientele.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
The farm-to-table concept has been taken up a notch with the growing enthusiasm for foraged ingredients, straight from nature to pizza. Leading this trend are wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods, which appear on menus according to their growing seasons.
Aside from mushrooms, we've dabbled with wild leeks known as ramps, sea greens including dulse and nori, and even spruce tips that lend a distinctive aromatic quality. These wild ingredients offer customers a connection to the outdoors and flavors that farmed produce simply can't match.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
The delectable play of savory against sweet from honey has solidified its place beyond just a fleeting trend. Progressing from the once-favored spicy honey, 2023 has seen the emergence of unique honey variants being drizzled on pizzas before serving.
Exotic varieties like truffle honey, fermented garlic honey, sweet mesquite honey, and even honey infused with CBD are increasingly featured in pizzerias nationwide. These final drizzles are adding layers of complexity and transforming even simple pizzas into gourmet experiences.
Honorable Mentions
Some other toppings that narrowly missed making our top five but are still creating buzz include:
- Cured egg yolks, finely grated over the pizza surface, akin to a dusting of golden flakes
- Pickled fruits, with a particular nod to stone fruits like peaches and apricots
- Ancient grains as toppings, such as crispy farro or popped sorghum, for added crunch
- Artisanal butter dollops, especially varieties that are cultured or mixed with herbs
Whether you're a purist who honors the timeless classics or someone eager to dive into new flavor arenas, pizza remains one of the most versatile and universally admired dishes. At Crust & Craft Pizzeria, we pay homage to time-honored traditions while boldly exploring innovative twists—that's why our menu features both the essential Margherita and our trailblazing specialty pies.
Have you sampled any of these contemporary toppings? Or maybe you've got a personal favorite pairing you'd want to see on our roster? Share with us in the comments, or during your next visit!