The pizza industry continues to evolve annually with new culinary trends, and 2023 is no exception. At NeutralBites, monitoring the latest flavors preferred by pizza aficionados around the world is our priority. We’ve compiled a list of the top pizza toppings that are dominating the scene this year.
1. Fermented Vegetables
With a growing emphasis on gut health, fermented veggies have emerged as an unexpected hit for pizza toppings in 2023. Ingredients like kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions are adding savory complex flavors that pair well with the creaminess of cheese and tomato sauce. These toppings don't just offer probiotic health perks; they bring new textures to the conventional pizza.
Our unique Fermentation Fanfare pizza, showcasing home-crafted sauerkraut, kimchi, and gorgonzola cheese, topped with a sprinkle of local honey to soften the sour taste has become a beloved choice. This unconventional blend is gaining popularity rapidly as a requested pie.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
The fascination with a plant-based diet isn’t slowing down and demand for pizzas adorned with meat substitutes has soared. Moving beyond run-of-the-mill veggies, advancements in plant proteins have birthed alternatives that even staunch carnivores enjoy.
Vegan alternatives like Italian sausage substitutes, seasoned tempeh, jackfruit pulled pork, and pea protein pepperoni have found a place in our recipe book. These toppings are attracting not only vegetarians but also customers drawn to their distinctive tastes and easier digestion.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
For those who crave a spicy kick, 2023 marks the year when pizza enthusiasts began seeking out specific chili varieties over the generic red pepper flakes. While Calabrian chilies continue to be in vogue from past years, new additions like Aleppo pepper, Spanish smoked ñora chilies, fruity Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang have been increasingly garnishing pizzas.
Our Global Heat pizza brings a unique combination of four diverse regional chilies, each one infusing its distinct spicy flavor to a quadrant of the pizza. This fiery gastronomic journey is particularly popular among our thrill-seeking customers.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
The connection of pizzas to their natural roots is on the rise, as evidenced by the increasing use of seasonally foraged ingredients. Leading this trend, a variety of wild mushrooms like chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods, grace the top of pizzas during their growing seasons.
In addition to mushrooms, innovations include spring ramps (wild leeks), oceanic greens like dulse and nori, and even aromatic spruce tips. These wild harvests not only offer irreplicable tastes but also deepen the connection to the natural culinary landscape.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
Creating a sweet and savory flavor balance, honey drizzles have solidified their place as a consistent preference. The range of specialty honey such as truffle honey, fermented garlic honey, smoky mesquite honey, and even CBD-infused honey have been seeing a surge in popularity, being drizzled onto pizzas before serving.
These gourmet honey variants add depth to flavor profiles and upgrade even the simplest of pizzas to a gourmet experience.
Honorable Mentions
A few other toppings nearly making it to our top five but nonetheless causing a stir include:
- Cured egg yolks, finely shredded over pizzas like flakes of golden dust
- Pickled fruits, with a focus on stone fruits such as peaches and apricots
- Ancient grain toppings, including crispy spelt or puffed sorghum for added texture
- Gourmet dollops of butter (especially cultured or herb-infused varieties)
Whether your preferences lean towards timeless classics or you're open to experimenting with innovative flavors, pizza remains one of the most versatile and universally adored dishes. At NeutralBites, we celebrate time-honored recipes while also incorporating contemporary twists—that’s why our menu offers the traditional Margherita alongside avant-garde specialty pizzas.
Have you experienced any of these trending toppings yet? Or maybe there's an unconventional combo you're hoping to find on our menu? Share your thoughts in the comments or on your next visit!