THE BEST PIZZA I’VE EVER TASTED was in Italy. It was one of those last-meal-on-earth pizzas, an ethereal soft-crisp crust graced with a simple sauce and adorned with capers, olives, and anchovies. The worst pizza I’ve ever tasted also had anchovies. It was from one of those wannabe Neapolitan-style joints, and I felt like I was biting into a slice studded with soggy salt packets.
And that’s the whole situation with anchovies. All along the Mediterranean coast, in South Asia, and elsewhere in the world, anchovies are revered for their flavor and nutrition, which drives a demand for higher-quality products. In America, they’re largely reviled, likely because of those run-ins we’ve all had and have since held deep within our psyches.
But something has shifted over the past several years. Though anchovies remain America’s least favorite pizza topping,
