Trend of Days

“I think 2025 will see pizza continuing to “democratize gourmet.” Pizzerias will increasingly embrace high-quality, unique ingredients while maintaining pizza’s accessible, communal nature. Chefs will be eager to innovate, yet they’ll keep the customer experience at the heart of their creations.
– Massimiliano Saieva, Chef, Instructor, and Award-winning Pizza Champion

Every year, there are predictions about new food trends and menus that are made by some experts and non-experts alike. The coming new year is no different, but the upcoming 2025 ballot box is filled with innovative new trends that seem to be happening at a faster pace. The wilderness of global cuisine is shrinking at breakneck speed and many chefs, content creators and food bloggers are taking on many new trends and sparking curiosity about flavors from around the world. Over 600 million food blogs publish two billion posts annually (Toast). That said, the experts are now everywhere thanks to social media. This “creator economy” produces food related material on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and can reach millions of viewers. TikTok alone has over 600 million recipes (TikTok). The hashtag #food has over 250 million posts on Instagram (Menu Tiger). This has changed our own customers’ food desires. An amazing 55 percent of Gen Z reported trying more flavors in the past year and almost two-thirds of Boomers are interested in trying new foods, especially when included with some familiar items (Datassential). Let’s do a dive into the new food menu trends for 2025.

Food Swing

“I think that multicultural inspired toppings are on the rise in pizza. Salsa Macha is one that I think will trend. People are incorporating Latin American, Middle Eastern and Asian inspired flavors into their toppings. I am also noticing that customers are wanting cleaner, healthier pizza, without sacrificing flavor.”

– Justin Wadstein, 13-time World Pizza Champion, Owner of Sleight of Hand Pizzeria

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern techniques and flavors: I’ve encountered a growing call for baked breads that are close cousins to pizza like yeasted and baked thin-crusted pizzas called Manoushe. These are usually topped with spicy and spiced raw meats and vegetables with tomato and cured cheeses like Jibneh Arabieh, Akkawi, Feta, Kashkaval, Bulgari, and Shankleesh. My customers are hooked on Za’atar Manoushe and Barbari Manoushe, two flatbreads slathered with extra virgin and Za’atar, which is made with wild thyme, sumac, ground sesame and salt.

“The wood-fired craze is transferring into a nation of crazed crispy pizza fans topped with spicy and crispy toppings. The crispier the better!” 

– Derek Sanchez, Award-winning Pizza Champion and Entrepreneur, Mia Marco’s Pizza, Selma Texas

Upscale Spice: Spice and char are creeping into menus across the U.S. Years ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find overwhelming heat at restaurants, but now spicy-hot-hot is on! Chef Derek Sanchez sees pickled jalapenos, spicy salami/pepperoni, and roasted spicy peppers as a go-to for his customers.

Sweet Packed Cherry Tomatoes: Datterini tomatoes are gaining popularity and are now perfect toppings for pizzas and pastas. The name refers to the sweet, dense and oblong tomatoes meaning “little dates”. They are very versatile and have a naturally high sugar content. I use them to make our seasonal Focaccia di Recco baked with luscious and tangy dollops of homemade Prescinseua or Crescenza cheese.

Thin for the Win

“I see an increase in skinny pizzas. Thin and crispy seems to be the trend in upscale pizzerias and restaurants.”

– Domenico Crolla, Award-winning Chef, Restauranteur, Pizza Champion, and Judge, Ristorante Oro, Glascow Scotland

“You’ll continue to see tavern style pizzas on the rise as people are looking for thinner crust offerings but will see some variations on the crust like the frico of a New Jersey bar pie. You’re also starting to see a movement towards New Haven style again with a crispier charred edge.”

– Ed Stalewski, Owner of Eddie’s Pizza and Award-winning Pizza Competitor

Thin and skinny pizza crusts: This trend is felt all over the globe and is very strong. The desire for Chicago thin crust-type pizzas has even brought a new trend of “Curing” pizza crusts — uncovered, uncooked pizza skins resting in a walk-in refrigerator for up to five weeks until they are leather-like. This creates a crunchy thin crust with lots of character. Combined with the new trend of spicy toppings, the Stamford Hot Oil Pizza is right in the bullseye of these two new trends.

Alternate uses with meats: Ever since chef Massimo Bottura shocked the Italian fine dining scene with his Mortadella mousse, other chefs have followed making use of all sorts of meats. Chef Francesco Capuzzo Dolcetto, Executive Chef of Marzapane in Rome makes a “Beef Butter” rendered from kidneys and serves it with Capellino pasta and licorice. I’ve made use of the lowly, unused Prosciutto di Parma shank by reducing it with a boiling mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery) reduced further into a thick finishing sauce for pizzas or clarified with egg whites for a delicious consommé.

Innovative Oils: Some olive oil companies are creating amazing, flavored olive oils called Agrumato. This is done by laboriously crushing the freshly picked olives with the other ingredients and makes for a more freshly spiced and complex oil perfect for use on pizza finishes, sauces, vinegarettes and marinades. I love to make a vegan “Air Pizza” with a Chili Agrumato as a laminating fat in between sheets of dough like butter is used in croissants. This effect after baking creates the airiest cornicione my customers have ever seen.

Fresh and Edible Finishers: Gone are the lonely sprigs of baby arugula that was so big in the 1990’s. The new finishing solutions for pizza makers contain both flavor and colorful pizzazz. Chef Ed Stalewski, owner of Eddie’s Pizza says, “I continue to see the beautification of pizza with either edible flowers or artistically arranged toppings.” From Calabrian chilies, chive flowers, pine buds, and colorful daikon strips, to maple-coated pecans, crushed pignoli, and crunchy tomato skins, more pizza makers are getting that fabulous “wow” from their customers’ first glance all the way to that tasty finish.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.