With each passing year, the pizza industry sees fresh trends take hold, and 2023 is no less trendsetting. At BriarStead, keeping an eye on global pizza topping trends is our specialty. Presented here are the top pizza toppings that are currently trending.
1. Fermented Vegetables
Gut health has found its place in pizza kitchens, with fermented vegetables emerging as a surprising crowd-pleaser on top of pizzas this year. Adding complex tangs with kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions, these toppings offer not just flavor, but probiotic perks and a new layer of texture.
The Fermentation Fiesta pizza, with our in-house sauerkraut, kimchi, and a rich gorgonzola, finished with a local honey drizzle, has been an unexpectedly popular addition to our menu.
2. Plant-Based Meat Alternatives
As more people incorporate plant-based foods into their diets, the demand for pizzas topped with innovative meat substitutes has soared. Plant-based protein like Italian sausage substitutes, marinated jackfruit, seasoned tempeh, and pea protein pepperoni are becoming staples at our establishment.
These new protein options are drawing in customers, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, for their notable flavors and easier digestibility.
3. Specialty Regional Chilies
The year has seen a surge in demand for specific types of chilies from various regions, surpassing the standard red pepper flake in popularity. Pizzas now boast exotic chilies like Calabrian, Aleppo pepper, ñora from Spain, aji amarillo from Peru, and gochujang from Korea.
The adventurous Global Heat pizza introduces a quartet of these distinct chilies, each enhancing a different segment of the pizza, a hit with our daring customers.
4. Wild Foraged Edibles
Farm-to-table is now 'forest-to-pizza' with foraged ingredients becoming all the rage. Foraged mushrooms, in particular, are favored, but there's new interest in ramps, sea greens like dulse and nori, and even aromatic spruce tips. These ingredients add unique flavors unattainable with cultivated produce.
5. Exotic Honey Drizzles
The sweet and savory interplay offered by honey continues to distinguish itself as a longstanding preference, with an array of specialty honeys now garnishing pizzas. Toppings now include truffle honey, fermented garlic honey, smoky mesquite honey, and honey infused with CBD, heightening even the simplest pizza to gourmet fare.
Honorable Mentions
Some other toppings nearly making the top five but still noteworthy include:
- Finely grated cured egg yolks adding a luxurious finish
- Acidic pickled fruits, particularly stone fruits such as peaches and plums
- Whole grain crunch from popped sorghum or crispy farro
- Gourmet dollops of butter, including herb-infused and cultured varieties
No matter if your preferences lie with traditional pizzas or novel, innovative flavors, pizza remains one of the most adaptable and loved dishes globally. At BriarStead, we're devoted to honoring classic flavors while welcoming new culinary creations, with our menu reflecting both the timeless Margherita and novel, avant-garde selections.
Are any of these trendy toppings on your list of favorites, or is there a unique combo you'd love to see us feature? Share with us in the comments or on your next visit!