Portland's Most Famous Pizza Toppings

"This fermentation-fueled city overflows with heat seekers, so hot honey holds court at condiment stations within several Portland pizzerias. A handful make their own, like Pizza Kat and Red Sauce; others lean on the industry standard, New York-made (and Brooklyn pizzeria-popularized) Mike's Hot Honey. Chefs adore these Portland-pickled Hungarian Goathorns, folding them into aioli or slapping them on breakfast sandwiches. Pizza is no exception."

"Real pepperheads and pizza freaks add them to pies with pineapple and pepperoni. Oregon's dense, damp forests have attracted mushroom foragers and truffle hunters for as long as people have lived here, and every chef in town has a dog-eared copy of All the Rain Promises and More. Mushrooms on pizza go beyond the button in Portland, as pizzaiolos load pies with morels, oysters, and Oregon's state mushroom, the golden chanterelle-depending on the season."

Portland pizza parlors incorporate local fermentation, foraging, and farmers-market produce into distinctive toppings. Hot honey appears widely, with some pizzerias making their own while others use Mike's Hot Honey. Portland-pickled Hungarian Goathorns are used in aioli, on breakfast sandwiches, and paired with fennel sausage or cured meats on pies. Foraged mushrooms such as morels, oysters, and golden chanterelles feature seasonally. Green garlic, an early-harvest allium that resembles a scallion with a larger bulb, is milder than mature garlic and is blitzed into olive oil or shaved thin before appearing on pizzas.

Read at Portland Monthly