The Sweet And Spicy Condiment You Should Drizzle On Pizza

Pizza always tastes pretty good, even when it's not the greatest. After all, who can resist its saucy and cheesy charms? But, if you're face to face with a pie that looks extremely underwhelming, there's an easy way to turn your tasting experience around. The secret savior for frozen pizzas and sad slices (or even the cherry on top of an already delicious pie), there's one condiment you should consider drizzling over your next bite of 'za. Sweet and spicy, it can help kick up flavor by several notches — the only question is whether or not you can handle the heat.

It's fair to say we're a culture of condiment lovers, simply because of what they can do for food. The ultimate flavor enhancers, condiments can also add textural and visual components to a dish, depending on the ingredients used to craft the sauce. Plus, since they're often served on the side or added as a final touch (unlike seasonings that are added during preparation), condiments give diners the opportunity to customize the taste of their meal.

While most pizza fans are no strangers to dunking crusts in ranch or marinara, there's another sauce that has recently exploded in popularity. But rather than limit itself to the plain edges of a pie, this condiment can be delicately drizzled all over a pie, adding just enough spice and sweetness to create a perfectly harmonized bite.

Adding another layer of complexity (along with potential anti-microbial and anti-viral properties), Well + Good explains that a simple pizza consisting of some vegetables and a protein can be significantly elevated when topped with hot honey. Since a little goes a long way, a drizzle is all that you need to improve the overall flavor of a pie.

Interestingly, Taste shares that the intrigue of hot honey-laced pizza can be traced to Mike Hurtz, who was inspired by a Brazilian pizzeria slinging slices topped with a chili pepper-infused honey. Bringing the idea back to Brooklyn, Mike's Hot Honey gained traction, inspiring a host of other eateries to adopt the practice. While the fiery sweetener has since motivated diners to use the condiment on cheese plates, whisked into dressings, stirred into cocktails, or even added over roasted vegetables, its greatest application remains being drizzled over pizza.

Playing with contrasting flavors, hot honey fares well on a pie thanks to its balance. Although capsaicin can create a burning sensation on our taste buds, Insider shares that sugar helps coat the tongue, taming the level of heat. Added to pizza that's covered with fats (cheese), the condiment not only amplifies flavor but the chili peppers cut through the richness, while the sweet honey counters the saltiness of the pizza's other toppings like pepperoni. 

Don't believe us? Give hot honey a try over your next slice and taste the difference.