As pizza continues to evolve, each year unveils new favorites in the topping department, and the year 2023 is no different. At HumanityUnveiled, we're dedicated to discovering the trendiest flavors that pizza aficionados worldwide are craving. We're excited to present the toppings that have stirred up excitement this year.
1. Fermented Vegetables
Consciousness around gut health has bridged over to the pizza industry, with fermented vegetables emerging as a top choice. Ingredients such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions are providing a burst of zesty flavor, perfect for balancing the creamy taste of traditional cheeses and sauces. These toppings are not only tasty but also deliver probiotic goodness and introduce new textures to the pizza experience.
Try our Fermentation Fiesta pizza, which boasts in-house sauerkraut, kimchi, and gorgonzola cheese, with a touch of local honey to offset the savory bites. It might sound out of the ordinary, yet it has quickly become a sought-after option.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
The shift towards plant-based diets has impacted our pizza selection, leading to a demand for inventive meat-free options. Beyond your typical vegetable options, we've embraced new plant protein alternatives that appeal to carnivores and vegetarians alike.
Items such as crumbled plant-based Italian sausage, flavorful tempeh, marinated jackfruit resembling pulled pork, and pea protein fashioned into pepperoni are now starring on our menu, attracting diners with their distinctive tastes and easier digestibility.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
For those who enjoy a spicy kick, 2023 has welcomed individual chili varieties hailing from distinct regions over commonplace red pepper flakes. While Calabrian chilies continue to delight, other chilies like Aleppo pepper, Spanish ñora, Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang are now dotting pizzas with their unique heat signatures.
Discover our Global Heat pizza, where a blend of four different regional chilies adds distinctive flavors to each quarter of the pie. It's become a favorite among our more daring guests.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
The trend of sourcing directly from nature, the forest-to-pizza phenomenon, gains popularity with foraged seasonal toppings. Leading this trend are wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods, appearing on pies during their prime seasons.
Apart from fungi, we've explored wild ramps, sea greens like dulse and nori, and fresh spruce tips that impart an aromatic twist. These wild picks forge a connection with nature while delivering irreplicable flavors.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
The interplay of sweet and savory notes with honey has become a lasting trend. We've seen an array of specialty honey types enhancing pizzas in 2023, applied right before serving for a burst of flavor.
Options like truffle honey, fermented garlic honey, smoky mesquite honey, and CBD-infused honey have emerged, providing a unique flair and transforming even simple pizzas into gourmet offerings.
Honorable Mentions
Other noteworthy toppings that are making waves, despite not making our top five include:
- Grated cured egg yolks imparting a velvety richness
- Pickled stone fruits such as peaches and plums
- Crisp textures from heritage grains like crispy farro or popped sorghum
- Dollops of artisan butter, including fermented and herb-infused varieties
Whether your tastes are rooted in pizza tradition or you're open to novel flavor pairings, pizza remains one of the most versatile and beloved dishes worldwide. At HumanityUnveiled, we respect time-honored recipes and push the boundaries of innovation, which is why our menu features classic Margherita alongside avant-garde creations.
Have any of these latest toppings piqued your interest? Do you have a distinctive combination you'd love for us to include? Let us know in the comments or drop a suggestion on your next visit!