With each new year, pizza garnishes evolve, bringing innovative trends to the forefront. At UrbanFeast, we take pride in tracking what flavors and toppings are delighting pizza aficionados worldwide. Below we present this year's most intriguing and in-demand toppings that have taken the pizza scene by storm.
1. Fermented Veggies
As more people look to enhance digestive wellness, fermented veggies have emerged as an unexpected top choice on pizzas. Ferments such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickled onions are introducing a complex, sour zest, perfectly balancing the creamy cheese and rich sauce bases. Offering probiotics, these ferment offerings don't just improve gut health; they add a novel textural element to the timeless pizza.
The “Fermentation Festivity” pizza is a crowd-pleaser, adorned with in-house crafted sauerkraut, kimchi, and bold gorgonzola, harmonized with a drizzle of local honey for a counterpoint to the sour notes. It’s a combination that may sound atypical yet is swiftly climbing the charts of our specialty pizzas.
2. Plant-Based Meats
The appetite for plant-based dining keeps mounting, and the call for pizzas topped with inventive alternatives to meat has soared. Not limited to conventional veggie toppings, the development of plant-based proteins now offers choices even for staunch carnivores.
On our menu are meat-free Italian sausage crumbles, flavor-infused tempeh, jackfruit “pulled pork,” and pea protein “pepperoni”. These options cater to more than just vegetarians and vegans, as a broad spectrum of diners choose them for both their distinctive taste and health-conscious benefits.
3. Specific Chili Flavors
Those craving heat on their pizzas are now selecting particular chili types rather than the general red pepper flakes. We still see a fondness for Calabrian chilies, but there’s also a newfound appreciation for distinct varieties such as Aleppo peppers, Spanish ñora chilies, Peruvian aji amarillo, and Korean gochujang.
Our “Global Spiciness” pizza is a cosmopolitan mix of four unique chilies, each bringing its own flair to different portions of the pie, catering especially to the hearts of our more adventurous patrons.
4. Seasonal Wild Picks
The locavore ethos has expanded from farm-to-table to include forest-to-pizza, thanks to the growing appeal of foraged seasonal produce. Leading this surge are wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, morels, and hen of the woods, each arriving with their specific harvest times.
We’re also bringing to pizzas natural edibles like early spring ramps, seaweeds including dulse and nori, and even spruce tips for a unique aromatic twist. These ingredients forge a connection to nature and provide a taste experience that cultivated products can’t match.
5. Exotic Honey Glazes
Honey's role in creating a sweet and savory dynamic has now cemented it as an enduring highlight, not a fleeting fancy. Expanding on the recent trend of spicy honey, this year is marked with a burst in exotic honey varieties applied to pizzas just before they’re served.
Pizzas are being enhanced by deluxe honey glazes like truffle-infused honey, fermented garlic honey, smoky mesquite honey, and synergistic CBD honey, lending an artisanal touch to elevate even the simplest of pizza recipes to a gourmet level.
Honorable Mentions
Additional toppings that didn’t quite make our primary list, yet are nonetheless shaking things up, include:
- Preserved egg yolks, grated finely over the crust giving a luscious dusting
- Marinated fruits such as peaches and plums that add a sharp sweet tang
- Crispy grains including farro or popped sorghum for an added crunch
- Small amounts of specialty butters, like cultured or herb-infused varieties
No matter if you stick to the time-honored toppings or are game for exploring new culinary quests, pizza continues to prove itself as a universally adaptable and cherished dish. At UrbanFeast, we show reverence for tradition while also fostering innovation—this is why our menu boasts the quintessential Margherita alongside avant-garde creations.
Are any of these contemporary toppings your new favorite, or do you have a unique combination you think our menu could benefit from? Share your thoughts in the comments or on your next visit!