Each year, the pizza industry sees new trends that captivate the palates of pizza aficionados worldwide. At FenridgePark, keeping tabs on the trends is our forte. Here are this year’s top pizza toppings that are stealing the spotlight.
1. Fermented Vegetables
Gut health has made its way into pizza kitchens, with fermented vegetables gaining popularity as pizza toppings. Tangy staples like kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions are lending complex flavors that harmonize with the creamy cheeses and sauces. These toppings not only offer a probiotic punch but also bring interesting new textures to the traditional pizza experience.
Try our Fermentation Celebration pizza, which boasts house-made sauerkraut, kimchi, and gorgonzola cheese, all harmonized with a sweet touch of local honey. Though it may seem unconventional, this pizza is quickly climbing the ranks of our most sought-after pies.
2. Plant-Based Proteins
As the plant-based diet trend keeps flourishing, we've observed a surge in demand for pizzas adorned with inventive meat substitutes. These go beyond regular veggie toppings, with plant-based protein innovations that even traditional meat-eaters find satisfying.
Options like plant-sourced Italian sausage pieces, flavored tempeh, jackfruit pulled pork, and pea protein pepperoni now take pride of place on our menu. These proteins cater to a broader audience than just vegetarians, drawing customers eager for their distinctive flavors and gentler impact on digestion.
3. Regional Chili Varieties
For those who crave spice, this year has introduced a preference for distinctive regional chilies, moving away from the usual red pepper flakes. While Calabrian chilies remain a favorite, we are now seeing a variety of chilies such as Aleppo pepper, smoky Spanish ñora, fruity Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang featuring on our pizzas.
The Global Heat pizza is a patchwork of these four distinct chilies, each offering its unique heat and flavor to sections of the pizza, a hit amongst our more intrepid customers.
4. Seasonal Foraged Ingredients
Foraged produce is transitioning from farm-to-table to forest-to-pizza, thanks to its growing cachet in the culinary world. Leading this trend are wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods, which pop up on our pizzas in line with their seasons.
We've also been experimenting with wild foraged items such as spring ramps (wild leeks), seaweeds like dulse and nori, and even aromatic spruce tips, giving customers flavors that are nearly impossible to find in farmed produce.
5. Specialty Honey Drizzles
The interplay of sweet and savory from honey has become an established favorite, well beyond a fleeting fascination. The current year has witnessed the rise of a variety of specialty honeys drizzled on pizzas at the point of service.
Drizzles such as truffle honey, fermented garlic honey, and smoky mesquite honey, are making their way onto menus nationwide. These decadent finishes introduce layers of complexity that transform even the simplest of pizzas into a gourmet experience.
Honorable Mentions
Some other toppings that nearly made our top five but deserve a mention include:
- Cured egg yolks, delicately grated over the pizza like a golden dusting
- Pickled stone fruits, with peaches and plums leading the pack
- Crunchy grains such as crispy farro or popped sorghum for added texture
- Specialty butter smears, especially cultured or herb-flecked butters
No matter if you're a pizza purist or someone who delights in trying out avant-garde flavors, pizza proves to be one of the most versatile and cherished dishes globally. At FenridgePark, we pay homage to pizza traditions while actively seeking out novel culinary ideas — that's the reason you'll see both the perennial favorite Margherita and the edgiest of our specialty pies on our menu.
Have you sampled any of these trending toppings? Or perhaps you have a unique blend of your own that you'd like to see featured? Drop us your thoughts in the comments, or let us know during your next meal with us!