Seven Pizza Toppings You Should Try

Is there such a thing as a bad pizza topping? The answer to that question may be a matter of opinion. Pizza toppings have certainly evolved over the years. Let's take a look at some of the best pizza toppings currently gracing taste buds in southeastern Massachusetts. 

Mushroom. Gone are the days where canned mushrooms were just an accessory to meat on a pizza. There are much more flavorful mushrooms - like portobello, porcini, and wild - that are more than capable of standing alone as a pizza topping. These mushrooms have strong, fresh flavors and will change the way you think about a single-topping pizza.

Pineapple. Easily one of the most controversial pizza toppings, pineapple is reviled by some and hailed by others. Those who dislike it typically say it is too mushy and watery to be atop pizza. Those who love it usually pair it with salty meat (like ham on a traditional Hawaiian pizza) to create a salty/sweet combo. While pineapple isn't a new pizza topping, it certainly has been a major source of pop culture debate in recent years. 

Clams. What could be more New England than clams on a pizza? Often prepared with a white cheese sauce instead of a red tomato sauce, salty-sweet clams work well with cheese. Often served on a crispier crust with garlic and oil, clams are a perfect pizza topping for seafood lovers. 

Chourico. A sometimes spicy Portuguese sausage, chourico is a sausage made of pork shoulder, paprika, garlic, black pepper, and salt. As a pizza topping, it is a slightly spicier, more flavorful option to the traditional sausage and pepperoni toppings. 

Sun-dried tomatoes. It may seem redundant to put tomatoes on a pizza with a red tomato sauce base, but you will not be disappointed with this topping. Almost all tomatoes work great as a pizza topping as long as they are not too mushy! Sun-dried tomatoes are bursting with flavor due to the drying process, and the texture adds to the overall appeal. These flavorful sun-dried bites are great as a stand-alone topping or as a complement to other vegetable, meat, or cheese flavors. 

Pepperoni. You may have seen this one coming. Pepperoni is the number one pizza topping according to a recent survey. This salty, crunchy, cured meat is hard to mess up and goes well with cheese and red sauce. It very rarely needs any additional toppings, but feel free to add some - pepperoni goes with almost everything. 

Pickles. You put them on burgers and sandwiches, but now you can order a pizza with pickles, too! Pickles on pizza works well when you're looking for a bold, salty flavor. Try them as a stand-alone topping or add in some ground beef for a meaty flavor. Although pickles aren't available as a topping in every pizza restaurant just yet, CRISP is Walpole has them (and all the pizza toppings mentioned above) on the menu!