Pizza. A universal word so beloved by virtually every community, it has become a staple of cuisine.
The baked combination of dough with cheese and tomato sauce results in a mouth-watering delight that is perfect for almost any occasion. However, your typical pizza pie is not completed without the toppings that finish it.
Second only to the quality of the pizza oven used, toppings are the defining factor of how the pizza will turn out. Since there is no shortage of wonderful items to top off your pizza with, here are six of the common pizza toppings you’ll find around the world:
1. Pepperoni
Pepperoni is one of the most common pizza toppings anywhere in the world. It is the classic topping synonymous with the dish itself. Thinly sliced cuts of pork that are usually spiced at just the right amount complement the overall texture of the pizza in so many ways.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find any restaurant or pizzeria not serving pepperoni pizza as a standalone dish. That is because it so ingrained with food culture that it results in its own spot on the menu.
As soon as you take that first bite of melted cheese with the topping, you’ll realize why it is so common. The taste is as timeless as the topping itself, which is why it will forever be identified with pizza as a whole.
2. Peppers
Various types of peppers not only add to the overall taste of the pizza, but are commonly used to accentuate the visual appeal of it as well.
Peppers found on pizza can be ordered in various colors. Green peppers can provide a strong, complementary taste, which results in it being a very common topping. Red, orange, and yellow peppers, on the other hand, provide a more piquant flavour.
Either way, these types of toppings are used to supplement other toppings that are commonly found on pizza such as meat sources. Once put together, it results in a truly delectable dish.
3. Mushrooms
Although mushrooms can be considered a very common pizza topping, it is also looked at as a very divisive one as well. Providing a very earthy flavour to the overall savoury nature of the pizza, mushrooms are recognized for having a bland, watery composition. However, when used together with other toppings, you’ll discover why they have become so commonly ordered on the dish.
Although not as popular as other specific types of toppings found on pizza, mushrooms have still earned their place regardless. Just think of it as a requisite for an overall great tasting pie!
4. Onions
Another staple of pizza toppings, onions provide a unique flavour that is generally unmatched by many other would-be garnishes. With a distinctive salty sweetness, onions can be topped before baking the pizza or after.
Once the natural sugars of the topping caramelize when cooked, however, onions provide a truly distinguishing taste. When complemented with other meats such as ground beef or pepperoni, it is natural to discover why it is so commonly used.
There are other vegetables that may be more popular with pizza aficionados, but it is almost universally accepted that onions will always be a part of topping culture.
5. Sausage
Sausage used as a topping on pizza has a historical context. It has been used as a topping dating as far back to the creation of the dish itself.
As a precedent for popular, common toppings, sausage has good reason for staying on top for so long. It is also an item that has adapted to different tastes overtime. You can find virtually any type of sausage to be used as a common pizza topping in today’s cuisine.
From classic ground pork to beef or chicken, the possibilities are endless. Vegan sausage even exists, making the topping a truly timeless addition to your pizza!
6. Tomatoes
Even though tomatoes are used as a foundation for the base of the pizza, multiple reasons exist for it being so commonly used as an additional topping. For starters, they evoke a visual appeal like other toppings such as peppers that is undeniably synonymous with pizza.
Sometimes, pizzerias use different tomatoes for a topping for the type of pizza being created. Roma tomatoes that are sliced accordingly provide an extremely juicy flavour that is unique in comparison to regular ones.
Tomatoes, like mushrooms, can be a bit off-putting to some because of their watery nature. However, they remain a core member of pizza toppings simply due to that fact.
The best part about pizza is that the dish can be topped with a nearly infinite number of items. From additional meat sources to virtually any type of vegetable, the possibilities are endless. However, there will always be a section of pizza toppings that stand apart from the rest. No matter what type of pie you end up ordering, it will usually have more than one of these added on top for good reason!
