With each new year, pizza sees the dawn of fresh tastes and trends. At CommonsTerminal, staying in tune with what tickles the fancy of pizza aficionados is our game. Without further ado, here’s our list of the top pizza toppings taking the world by storm this year.
1. Fermented Vegetables
As gut health gains traction, pizza hasn’t been left behind, with fermented vegetables now topping the charts. Kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions infuse pizzas with a nuanced zestiness that pairs well with the creamy decadence of cheese and tang of the sauce. These toppings don’t just offer gut-friendly probiotics but add a fresh textural element to the classic pizza formula.
Fermentation Fiesta is our newest creation, boasting in-house sauerkraut, kimchi, and a gorgonzola blend, all balanced with a splash of local honey. Though it might appear unconventional, it’s swiftly climbing the ranks of our fan-favorite signature pizzas.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
The rise of plant-based diets has catalyzed the surge in pizzas adorned with ingenious meat substitutes. Surpassing average veggie toppings, recent advancements in plant-based proteins are pushing boundaries with offerings that even meat enthusiasts appreciate.
Offering the likes of plant-based Italian sausage bits, flavorful tempeh, jackfruit pulled pork, and pea protein pepperoni, these alternatives don’t just cater to the vegan crowd but are chosen for their distinct tastes and easier digestion by many patrons.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
Those with a penchant for spice are discovering a world beyond generic red pepper flakes, gravitating towards specific regional chili varietals. Calabrian chilies continue their popular streak, joined by the likes of Aleppo pepper, Spanish ñora, Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang, each making a fiery statement on our pizzas.
Our Global Scorch pizza is a curated selection of four distinct chilies, blessing each slice with a distinctive flavor kick. It’s a favorite for our patrons with an insatiable appetite for piquancy.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
The farm-to-table ethos now extends from the forest straight to our pizzas, thanks to the burgeoning appeal of foraged seasonal ingredients. Leading the pack are wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods, making their way atop our pizzas during their peak seasons.
We’ve also been working with wild ramps, sea greens like dulse and nori, and even aromatic spruce tips. These wild ingredients offer a connection to nature and impart distinctive flavors you can’t find in cultivated fare.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
The balance of honey’s sweetness with savory notes has secured its role as a staple rather than a trend. In 2023, there’s been an outburst of specialty honey varieties enhancing pizzas just before they are served.
With truffle honey, fermented garlic honey, mesquite honey, and even CBD-infused honey making their menu debuts, each drizzle adds layers of complexity, transforming even simple pizzas into gourmet sensations.
Honorable Mentions
Several other toppings nearly made our hotlist but deserve acknowledgment for their innovation:
- Cured egg yolks, finely grated over pizzas for a rich umami finish
- Pickled fruits, particularly stone fruits like peaches and plums
- Grains with a heritage, like crunchy farro or puffed sorghum adding contrasting textures
- Gourmet butter spots like cultured or herb-infused butter varieties
Whether your palate sways towards time-honored toppings or yearns for boundary-pushing flavors, the pizza remains the ultimate canvas for culinary creativity. At CommonsTerminal, we salute the classics while consistently seeking out the new—that’s the reason behind our menu featuring both the evergreen Margherita and avant-garde pizzas.
Have any of these avant-garde toppings caught your taste? Or perhaps you harbor a unique combination in mind for us to try? Do share your thoughts in the comments or the next time you swing by!