As we progress through the year, the pizza industry adapts with exciting culinary trends. At UrbanStream, we are committed to staying abreast of the flavors that pizza aficionados worldwide are craving. This list highlights the most sought-after and intriguing pizza toppings of the current year.
1. Fermented Vegetables
The importance of gut health has permeated the pizza industry, making fermented vegetables a surprisingly sought-after topping choice in recent times. Adding complex and sour flavors, kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions have become the perfect counterparts to the creamy textures of cheese and tomato sauce. In addition to their probiotic advantages, these toppings bring a new array of textures to the pizza's surface.
Our innovative Fermentation Fiesta pizza includes our specialty sauerkraut, house-made kimchi, and gorgonzola cheese topped off with a touch of local honey to counteract the sourness. It's an unconventional mix, but it's swiftly becoming one of our most in-demand custom pizzas.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
With more consumers opting for a plant-centered diet, the call for plant-based protein pizza toppings has seen a notable uptick. Straying from the usual veggie garnishes, gastronomic advancements in meat substitutes have brought forth choices even the most ardent carnivores enjoy.
Menus now feature items like plant-derived Italian sausage crumbles, flavored tempeh, seasoned jackfruit as a stand-in for pulled pork, and pea protein fashioned into pepperoni slices. These proteins allure not only vegetarians but a broader audience due to their distinct flavors and an easier-to-digest profile.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
Fans of spice are celebrating as pizza enthusiasts show a preference for particular chili types over the ubiquitous red pepper flakes. While Calabrian chilies continue their streak in the spotlight, others like the smoky Spanish ñora chili, sweet Peruvian aji amarillo, and pungent Korean gochujang are also joining the ranks.
Our Planet of Heat pizza spotlights an assortment of four unique chilies, each lending its distinctive taste to different sections of the pie—a fiery gastronomic journey that appeals to our more daring customers.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
Foraging has entered the pizza scene, linking the wild to your plate with the use of freshly gathered, seasonal ingredients. Among these, wild mushrooms are a frontrunner, showcasing chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods during their peak times.
We've also been experimenting with foraged delights like spring ramps, oceanic greens such as dulse and nori, and aromatic spruce tips. These ingredients offer a connection to nature and impart irreplicable flavors that can't be found in farmed counterparts.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
Honey's addition to pizza for a sweet yet savory effect has become more than a fleeting fad. 2023 has seen an influx of innovative honey types used as the crowning glaze on pizzas.
Expect to find options such as truffle-infused honey, garlic-flavored variants, smoky mesquite honey, disrupting menus nationwide. These enhancements serve to add a novel complexity and can turn even the simplest of pies into an exquisite culinary experience.
Honorable Mentions
Although they didn't make our top list, some noteworthy toppings include:
- Cured egg yolks, finely shredded atop the pie akin to a cascade of gold flakes
- Marinated fruits, particularly stone fruits such as peaches and apricots
- Whole grain garnishes, like crunchy farro or popped sorghum that add a textural twist
- Artisanal butter blobs, especially those enhanced with cultures or infused with herbs
Whether you're someone who honors the timeless classics or a culinary explorer eager to chart new flavor territories, pizza remains one of the most versatile and cherished dishes worldwide. At UrbanStream, we pay homage to the time-honored selections while wholeheartedly exploring new frontiers of taste—that's why our menu boasts both the beloved Margherita and our avant-garde signature pizzas.
Have you had the opportunity to taste any of these popular toppings? Or do you have a special combination of your own that you'd wish to see us introduce? Drop us a line in the comments or share your thoughts on your next visit!