With each year, we witness new preferences emerge in the pizza spectrum, and this 2023 stands similar. At SavoryMeadow, our observation is continuous on the tastes captivating pizza aficionados worldwide. We present a list of this year's most dynamic and favored pizza toppings.
1. Fermented Vegetables
Pizzerias have caught onto the gut health craze, with fermented veggies making a surprisingly successful entry atop pizza crusts. Kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions provide a punch of complex and tart flavors that marry well with the creamy cheese and robust sauces, also bringing probiotic perks and a new texture play to classic pizzas.
Our Fermentation Fiesta pie is topped with our in-house sauerkraut, kimchi, and gorgonzola, with a swoosh of local honey to temper the zestiness. It's a unique blend that's swiftly climbed our popularity charts.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
Plant-centric diets maintain their surge, bringing a noticeable uptick in meat alternative toppings on pizzas. We've gone beyond usual veggies, embracing plant proteins that can even impress genuine carnivores.
Our kitchen now regularly handles plant-based Italian sausage crumbs, herby tempeh, marinated jackfruit as pulled pork, and pea protein styled as pepperoni. These toppings cater to a broader audience for their distinctive tastes and gentler effect on the stomach.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
Chili enthusiasts are celebrating as 2023 welcomes the adoption of distinct regional chili sorts over customary red pepper flurries. Calabrian chilies retain their appeal, and now Aleppan pepper, smoky Spanish ñora peppers, Peruvian aji amarillo with its fruity punch, and Korean gochujang are being featured.
Our Intercontinental Zest pizza is a heat-lover's dream, partitioning the crust into sections each graced with a different chili variant, offering a spice-centric journey for our most daring patrons.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
Seasonal foraging has found its niche on the pizza scene, riding on the wave of farm-to-table dining. The trend leaders are wild-grown mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels, and maitake, showcased during the peak of each type's season.
We've branched out to include wild ramps, ocean-inspired greens like dulse and nori, and even fragrant spruce tips, connecting customers to nature while offering inimitable flavors that cultivated crops can't match.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
Honey's contrast play between sweet and savory has decisively become more than a whim. Expanding on the hot honey trend of years past, a variety of unique honey infusions are now being added to pizzas as a final flourish before serving.
We're now drizzling our pizzas with options like truffle infused honey, garlic-fermented honey, smoky mesquite honey, and honey infused with CBD. These top-offs present a layer of depth that morphs even the most basic pizza into a gourmet affair.
Honorable Mentions
Some other toppings nearly making the cut, yet still leaving an impact include:
- Cured egg yolks, finely grated over the pie for a touch of luxury
- Pickled fruits, notably stone fruits such as peaches and plums
- Whole grain garnishes, with textures like crunchy farro or puffed sorghum
- Specialty butter dots, especially cultured or herbed
No matter if you swear by time-honored classics or search out novel flavor combos, pizza remains a universally cherished and adaptable dish. At SavoryMeadow, we respect tradition while welcoming new ideas—that's why our menu hosts both timeless Margherita and boundary-pushing signature pizzas.
Have any of these trendsetting toppings graced your meal, or do you have an unconventional favorite you'd hope to see on our menu? Share with us in the comments or on your next visit!