For years, pizza crust innovations have primarily focused on enhancing taste and texture. With the rising awareness of Celiac disease, bakers began to create gluten-free options. Following this trend, parents and advocates of the paleo diet introduced pizza crusts made from cauliflower. According to California Pizza Kitchen, a national chain, over 10% of their pizza orders now feature cauliflower crust. However, Spinato’s latest frozen pizza pushes the crust innovation even further by introducing a broccoli crust. While broccoli crust recipes are plentiful on various blogs, it has only recently appeared in a few product lines.
“Our new range of broccoli crust pizzas will provide a distinct taste experience that caters to today’s busy consumers,” said company president Anthony Spinato in a press release. Notably, these broccoli crust pizzas seem to be exclusive to Spinato’s frozen grocery line and are not available in their Arizona locations. The concept is fascinating, yet it raises several questions. Will the crust have a noticeably greener appearance? Does the unique flavor of broccoli interfere with the overall enjoyment of the pizza? Is there a consumer demand for broccoli crust?
These questions, along with others, should be addressed as the new pizza becomes available in stores, which the press release indicates will happen “soon.” Additionally, the broccoli used in the crust is a rich source of calcium citrate, appealing to health-conscious consumers. Spinato’s pizzas can currently be found in the frozen section of about 750 grocery stores nationwide. — Megan Poinski