Pizza is a very popular dish and it brings a lot of talk and socialization. Every country has its own style and different groups of people agree or disagree whether which is the best so here are our top 10 pizza flavors.
This delicious recipe originated from Italy and from there, it started spreading all over the world and has boiled up a lot of debates on which pizza flair is the best.
Some stick to the authentic and the most basic kind of pizza flavor where there is only the dough, the sauce, and the cheese, and some might throw in a little bit of basil in there as toppings.
There is the New York Style Pizza, the Hawaiian, the deep-dish from Chicago, and many more. We would predict that whatever country you go to, they would have their own pizza flavor.
Once, pizza was considered as food for peasants but nowadays, this delicious food is considered as one of the best foods that humanity has ever created.
The industry is booming and it will surely last long. The predicted worldwide pizza market revenue is over a hundred billion dollars which is a great number for such a simple recipe.
If you are creative enough, you will see that there are endless possibilities for creating a pizza flavor. You have endless choices on which toppings you can use.
You can even change your favorite flavor depending on the season. Basically, being a great pizza maker is determined by being very creative and resourceful.
So, this is the list of what we think are the best pizza flavors all around the world. Take a look and decide for yourself which is the best!
1. The Classic Cheese-only Pizza
Perhaps the most basic form and flavor of pizza, the plain cheese pizza is considered as the most authentic form of pizza that relates closest to the original Italian pizza.
For most people, plain cheese pizza is the only kind of pizza. It consists of only dough, tomato sauce, and cheese of your choice either mozzarella, provolone, or parmesan.
This flavor of pizza can be a great way of practicing before moving on to more complex styles so you can use this simple recipe to teach your kids.
You can order this kind of pizza in any pizzaiolo, a local pizza joint, delivered, or frozen. It truly is the most basic form of pizza that even with the three simple ingredients, you can already call it a pizza.
It has that crispy flavor on the crust and a chewy, slightly gooey one that you get from the cheese. This is the main texture that most people are looking for.
You can also add a little bit of that chewiness by adding more cheese. Either way, these three basic ingredients are what consists of a pizza, nothing more, nothing less.
2. Margherita Pizza
This is only a step of an upgrade to the cheese-only pizza. It adds a single topping on the pizza and still consists of the three basic ingredients.
This flavor of pizza basically adds fresh basil on the top of the cheese pizza and that is it. It originated in Italy, of course, and has specific ingredients needed to be called an authentic Margherita.
So, first, you should use the classic pizza dough. This one is not so strict so any kind of dough will do, as long as it will go crispy once it is finished.
The next ingredient needed is the San Marzano tomatoes. So you will need to make a sauce from the tomatoes if you do not want chunks out of it.
You also have the choice to drizzle it with a little olive oil and sprinkle it with some salt if you want it but even without those two, it can still be called an authentic Margherita pizza.
The cheese is the most delicate ingredient of this recipe. When making a Margherita pizza, you will need to use Mozzarella fior di latte to say that it is authentic.
In the original Neapolitan recipe, you will need to use Mozzarella di Bufala Campana which is a type of cheese made from the water buffalo from a place called Campania in Italy.
Technically, the Margherita pizza is a variation of the Neapolitan pizza that originated in Naples where it also got its name from.
Margherita was made popular in Italy and it is the recipe that was eventually passed down to the Americans and what made pizza popular in New York.
3. Pepperoni
This is another classic. All you need to have is the three basic ingredients and just throw sliced pepperoni on top of it, no matter how much you desire, just put it there.
Pepperoni pizza creates much more grease than any of the pizzas mentioned above. It also has that delicious, slightly spicy flavor that comes with it.
Since it is a classic pizza flavor, you can find it in high-end restaurants and delivery. It is also very easy to make so you can definitely cook it in your own home.
Pepperoni pizza is famous in the Western world such as Mexico, America, and Canada. This is not surprising since pepperoni is also abundant in these countries.
Pepperoni is technically cured beef and pork. It is thinly sliced and seasoned with salt which dries out the meat to give that crispy texture when you bite into it.
It is hard to believe that you will find this type of pizza in Italy since this topping is only common in America and the nearby countries.
Nonetheless, the pepperoni pizza has become one of the classics and it is because of its delicious flavor and an additional crispy texture contradicting the gooey-ness of the cheese.
4. Gourmet Style Pizza
Gourmet-style Pizza or California-style Pizza is another pizza flavor that is popular among Americans especially on the West Coast.
It consists of a combination of ingredients that are hand-picked and is usually available during the season. This gives more versatility to the recipe and also a lot of flavors.
The ingredients used in this recipe are always fresh and are locally sourced. This means that whatever ingredients are available around you, you can make a pizza from it.
The popular ingredients in a California-style pizza are usually tomatoes, red bell peppers, and lettuce along with other greens that are available.
People also spice things up with jalapenos or any kind of hot peppers. You can also use any cheese that you want in this pizza but the most popular is goat cheese.
This pizza flavor was invented in California by a famous restaurant called Chez Pannise which eventually made California famous for its Pizza Kitchen styles.
It is a famous pizza flavor especially for vegetarians since they get to choose the type of cheese and toppings that they want without involving any harm on any animal in the process.
5. Hawaiian
Perhaps the most controversial pizza flavor of all time that even to this day, it is still under great debate on whether pineapple belongs on pizza.
Well, for us here, we consider versatility as an advantage and if you can find any topping that you love, then you should add it to your pizza recipe.
The pineapple in Hawaiian pizzas is the culprit in these debates. They add that zesty and sweet flavor that contrasts the saltiness of the cheese and other ingredients.
Some find it as refreshing while others undermine it for combining weird cuisines that sometimes do not fit in other people’s palates.
An authentic Hawaiian pizza also includes bacon or ham. If you imagine bacon or ham combined with pineapples, then you will totally be weirded out but it does not settle on the sight.
The contradicting tastes and flavors of the toppings are what makes the pizza great. The oily and greasy part of the bacon is countered by the sweetness and zest of the pineapple.
We decided to put this pizza flavor in the middle of the list because although it has some fans, it is also dubbed as one of the worst pizza flavors by others who do not like it solely because of the pineapples.
It can also be modified as people try to change the pineapples with other ingredients such as bell peppers or other vegetables.
Either way, the Hawaiian pizza is a very healthy pizza with the right amount of fats and a rich flavor coming from the somewhat unusual combination and choice of ingredients.
6. Mushrooms, Black Olives, and Onions
If you want a healthy pizza and a simple vegetarian-friendly one, then this flavor is perfect for you and for your diet.
You still get to enjoy that amazing pizza flavor that you want with the surprise element coming from the delicious toppings that are very common in the pizza industry.
Mushrooms are common in almost any kind of recipe may it be soups, seafood, and of course, pizza. It packs a lot of nutrients and it is also delicious.
Black olives and onions are also nutritious. They give the pizza a lot of flavors and you can actually combine them with any other toppings that are available.
This kind of pizza gives so much aroma and flavor yet not everyone loves it. The onion gives off a lot of flavors that might scare some people but if cooked right, it is one of the most delicious toppings of all time.
You may consider this as a pizza that is ready-to-eat but you can also base your own recipe with these three toppings. You can add meat or any other vegetables and it will turn out great.
Again, creating a pizza is always about being free of your choice. Whatever you want to put in there, as long as it will make the pizza more delicious, then you can add it.
7. Meat Pizza
This pizza is a popular choice. It takes a bit longer to cook compared to most pizzas but it is one of the most delicious pizza flavors around the world.
If you want a more exciting pizza then this is the one. Although you should be careful as it packs a lot of fats and oil so make sure that you do not eat too much.
Meat pizza is usually cooked longer because the ingredients are thicker than most, it also needs to be safe from any diseases so cooking it longer gets rid of that.
The technique is to fry all the meat toppings first before putting them on the pizza and into the oven. You can cook the meat halfway through and then let it completely cook in the oven along with the pizza.
See, when you put raw meat on top of a pizza, the cheese, sauce, and the dough will cook in advance without the meat fully cooked throughout.
That is why it is cooked first so that the pizza and the meat will cook at the same time in the oven. You can use pepperoni, sausage, or ground pork or beef or you can combine them all.
8. BBQ Chicken Pizza
This is another one of those pizzas where people have a love-hate relationship with. For pizza purists, this is considered as one of the most courageous pizza flavors of all time.
Some people, especially Americans love this pizza flavor and there are varieties of it in some states. It was invented by the California Pizza Kitchen and has spread all throughout the country.
BBQ Chicken Pizza is a combination of the basic ingredients of a pizza and weirdly enough, barbecue chicken and barbecue sauce.
So if you want to make one, all you need is the pizza dough, cheese, and instead of the classic tomato sauce, you drizzle it with barbecue sauce.
Well, you might still want some tomato sauce in there so you can still add it. The most important thing is to put cutlets of barbecue chicken on top of the cheese.
Once the pizza is cooked, you can enjoy the pizza. This flavor of pizza is common with sports fans and you will usually see it eaten by the fans in stadiums while watching their favorite teams.
If this flavor is not weird enough for you, well it has something more. In the southern and midwestern US, some fans of this flavor even dip the pizza in Ranch dressing.
It might sound overwhelming but it truly packs a lot of flavors and one you get used to it, there is no turning back.
The pizza can also be added with onions, peppers, and fresh vegetables as toppings to give the barbecue more flavor and freshness to it.
9. The Supreme Pizza
If you are having a hard time choosing between vegetables and meat, why not combine all the toppings in one pizza?
That is the main concept of the supreme pizza. It allows you to be as versatile and be as creative as you want by combining all the available toppings at your hand.
The basic mix in a Supreme pizza is the dough, tomato sauce, cheese, sausage, pepperoni, and any vegetables such as lettuce plus some bell peppers and mushrooms.
You can also add whatever toppings you want and it can still be categorized as a supreme pizza. With all the toppings and flavor in this pizza, you can taste a burst of flavor.
Some people say that this is a pizza with less guilt. Since you have put all the meat that you have in the pizza, you counter it with more healthy ingredients in the form of vegetables.
Creating your own supreme pizza does not mean that you have to stick with the toppings. You can also add more cheese if you like.
Some pizzas such as the double cheese are combined with a lot of toppings so you can taste more flavors in it. This is where you put two different kinds of cheese and add the said toppings.
10. Buffalo Pizza
This might not be the most popular pizza flavor but it is one that has stirred a lot of conversations of whether or not it is a true pizza.
See, as we have seen above, the true basics of pizza are the dough, tomato sauce, and cheese. However, this pizza contradicts that by having buffalo sauce in exchange for the tomato sauce.
This flavor of pizza adds a lot of spice, buttery flavor, and saltiness to the dough and can be combined with any toppings that you want.
Some people also do this recipe in a different way. So to be dubbed as a pizza, they still add the tomato sauce and then finish it by drizzling some buffalo sauce on the pizza.
This way, you can still taste the authenticity of a pizza with the mix of a new ingredient. You can then add meat or vegetables as your toppings and there you have it, a buffalo pizza.
Get Creative
As you can see, the pizza flavors on the list have their own different flavors. This is what makes the pizzas right now great.
You have the freedom to choose whatever toppings you love and put it in your pizza. Being a seasonal person, you can also alter your recipe by adding what is available.
As long as you have the basic ingredients dough, tomato sauce, and cheese, you have all the right to call it a pizza so be creative and find your own flavor.
Authenticity
There is a proper way to make an authentic pizza so you can follow that as well. You will need an oven that gets up to temperatures up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
This way, you can cook an authentic, crispy pizza in less than two minutes and you can add whatever you want in it.
The key is to balance all the ingredients and make sure that they are cooked evenly. Most ovens can do this and it will not hurt to put some accessories.
Pizza stones or pizza steels are often used in making pizza to produce more heat that will cook the dough of your pizza.
Cook meat in advance, and put vegetables in the oven together with the pizza. Once you have considered this, you are bound to create a lot of perfectly-cooked pizzas in no time.
Conclusion
The list above consists of a lot of flavors from around the world. You can choose whatever you like and it will surely satisfy your taste buds as well as your stomach.
The flavors might be weird for some but with an acquired taste, they will not taste any different at all. Having a new pizza flavor added to your palate is always great.
If you want authentic pizzas, then you can always buy them in restaurants or even make your own for a fresher, more delicious pizza.
See which one fits your taste the most and let us know which pizza flavor is the best for you from the list above!
If you liked the post, then do not forget to share it on social media!
Leave a Reply