With each year, the pizza scene is presented with fresh culinary waves, and 2023 stands out with its own distinctive flavors. Here at FreshPantry, our attention is always tuned into the tastes that pizza aficionados worldwide crave. Here's our compilation of this year's most irresistible and trending pizza garnishes that are taking the spotlight.
1. Fermented Vegetables
The surge in probiotic interest has launched fermented veggies to the forefront of pizza innovation, with tangy delights like kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions enhancing the creamy cheese and robust sauce. These toppings aren't just a treat for the taste buds, offering probiotic perks; they also add an intriguing new texture to the timeless pizza.
Our Fermentation Fiesta pie showcases our house-made sauerkraut, kimchi, and bold gorgonzola, complete with a sweet drizzle of local honey that perfectly offsets the zest. While it may appear unconventional, it's making a name for itself as one of our top specialty pizzas.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
The trend of meatless diets is not losing steam, and this has translated to an uptick in plant-based protein toppings not only for the usual veggies but also for meat mimics that even the staunch carnivores are curious about.
Options like plant-based crumbled Italian sausage, spiced tempeh, jackfruit pulled pork, and pea protein pepperoni have become staples on our menu. These innovative proteins cater not just to the vegetarian palate but are chosen by many for their distinctive flavors and gentle digestion profile.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
For those who seek a heated experience, 2023 has seen pizza lovers choosing specific chili varieties of different regions as opposed to general red pepper flakes. Favs like Calabrian chilies are trending, along with spicy additions such as Aleppo pepper, smoky Spanish ñora chilies, fruity Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang on pizzas.
Our Global Heat pizza spotlights a mix of four distinct chilies, each adding its own unique flavor to diverse sections of the pizza. This fiery journey has won the hearts of those with a penchant for thrill in their meals.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
The leap from farm-to-table to forest-to-pizza is marked by the growing use of seasonal, wild ingredients. Leading this trend are diverse mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods, which appear during their particular seasons, and have become more present.
Other foraged offerings at our establishment include spring ramps (wild leeks), sea greens like dulse and nori, and even fragrant spruce tips. These foraged finds create a connection to the wild and offer irreplaceable flavors you won't find in the commercial market.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
Honey's dance of sweetness with savory notes is creating a longstanding wave on the pizza landscape. Progressing from the hot honey trend of prior years, we’re now witnessing an advent of unique honey types being drizzled across pizzas just before serving.
Our menu features exotic honey like truffle honey, fermented garlic honey, smoky mesquite honey, and other novel types that enhance and sophisticate even the simplest of pizza recipes.
Honorable Mentions
A couple of other garnishes that are making noticeable waves but did not quite make our top list include:
- Cured egg yolks, delicately shredded atop the pizza like fine golden flakes
- Marinated fruits, particularly stone fruits such as apricots and plums
- Ancient grain toppings that introduce a crunch element, like crispy farro or popped sorghum
- Bespoke butter dollops, particularly those infused with herbs or cultured varieties
No matter if you're someone who sticks to well-loved classics or an avid explorer of bold flavors, pizza remains a global favorite for its versatility. At FreshPantry, we marry time-honored methods with fresh ideas, which is why you'll discover traditional Margherita alongside our innovative special pizzas on our menu.
Are any of these trendy toppings among your favorites, or do you have your own pizza twist you'd like us to try? Share your thoughts below in the comments or during your next visit!