Pizza has transcended its humble beginnings as an Italian street food for the working classes to become one of the world’s most-loved foods, with countless styles, sizes, national and regional variations, and flavours to choose from. From traditional Neapolitan to classic Margherita, decadent Four Cheese to spicy Pepperoni, and Meat Lovers to Veggie or Vegan, there really is a pizza to suit every taste, penchant, and dietary requirement.
So, let’s dive deeper into sought-after styles and trending toppings…
Italy
What better place to start than Italy, the birthplace of modern pizza? Italian pizza is renowned for its thin crust, delicious flavours, and top-quality ingredients. Here are our ten go-to staples of Italian pizza cuisine:
Neapolitan: Neapolitan pizza (originating from Naples, as the name suggests) is arguably the most iconic style of Italian pizza. It features a thin crust and a simple topping of San Marzano or pomodorini del Piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, salt, and olive oil. According to the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, it should be baked for 60-90 seconds in a wood-fired oven at 485 °C to give its characteristic blistered crust and a soft, chewy centre.
Margherita: made with a thin and crispy base, fresh San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, and extra virgin olive oil, this classic pizza originally hails from Naples and is widely considered the national dish of Italy.
Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples has been serving up delicious Margherita pizzas since 1738:
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Marinara: this simple yet delicious pizza consists of tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil.
Quattro Formaggi: one for the cheese lovers, this pizza is made with four different types: typically, mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, and parmesan and can be served with or without tomato sauces, depending on whether you choose a rossa (red) or bianca (white) style.
Quattro Stagioni: this pizza, which loosely translates to ‘four seasons’ in English, is made with four different toppings, each one representing a different season: – artichokes for spring, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil for summer, mushrooms for autumn, and ham for winter.
Prosciutto e Funghi: topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, thinly sliced prosciutto cotto (Italian ham), and mushrooms.
Capricciosa: made with tomatoes, mozzarella, artichokes, mushrooms, and Italian baked ham.
Diavola: or ‘devil pizza’ in English. If you like spicy flavours, then this is the pizza for you! It’s basically a Margherita with spicy Italian sausage, similar to what we would call a pepperoni pizza.
Ortolana: roughly translated, the name of this Italian favourite is ‘greengrocer’ in English – it’s usually topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, aubergine, and courgette.
The UK
There’s no denying the fact that we Brits love pizza! Every year, UK consumers spend over £5 billion on pizzas, over 80% of which are purchased from restaurants and takeaways.
But what are our favourite toppings?
A recent survey by Domino’s, which has over 1,300 UK outlets and served up nearly a billion slices of pizza last year, found that pepperoni, chicken, sweetcorn, and (somewhat surprisingly) pineapple featured among the most ordered extra toppings.
In 2023 alone, we made more than a whopping 3.6m requests for extra pineapple on our pizzas – finally answering the question as to whether pineapple actually belongs on pizza, it seems!
Here’s the top ten list of Domino’s most requested toppings:
- Pepperoni – 8.06m
- Roast chicken – 6.64m
- Sweetcorn – 5.48m
- Ham – 4.55m
- Mushrooms – 4.32m
- Pineapple – 3.63m
- Onions – 3.57m
- Cheese – 3.33m
- Green jalapenos – 3.10m
- Green and red peppers – 3m
America
Across the pond, pizza preferences can vary by region, but according to Pizza Today’s 2024 Pizza Industry Trend Report, the ten pizza toppings that top the charts nationally in the US are:
- Pepperoni
- Sausage
- Mushroom
- Extra Cheese
- Bacon
- Chicken
- Onion
- Red / Green Bell Peppers
- Ham
- Black Olives
Other hot pizza toppings on their way up range from meat and cheese alternatives to sweet and spicy combinations incorporating sauces like hot honey, maple syrup, and fig jam, Mexican-inspired meats, different styles of pepperoni, and pickled and caramelised vegetables. The demand for plant-based vegan and veggie pizzas also continues to rise.
We think Chris Decker’s creation – caramelised onion and roasted butternut squash pizza complete with vegetable base, eggplant, Greek yoghurt, tahini, pomegranate, and mint – is a definite must-try:
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