Tasters Rate Gourmet Pizzas With Exotic Toppings

Pizza is becoming more and more unique, and the days of cheese and pepperoni are over.

Pizza lovers can now choose exotic toppings, such as garlic shrimp, Thai chicken, and even carmelized pears. Some restaurants offer gourmet pizzas topped with grilled eggplant and roasted corn, salsa and sour cream, and barbecued chicken.

Supermarkets are also following the trend, offering frozen pizzas with these inventive toppings.

Consumer Reports has sampled several, including pizzas from Freschetta, DiGiornio and Celeste. All the pizzas were topped with chicken, and flavors included a spicy Southwest style -- even Thai chicken with Asian vegetables and peanut sauce.

Taste testers said they were looking for pizza with a good blend of flavors and textures. The biggest dissapointment was the Celeste Pizza for One Zesty Chicken Supreme.

"The vegetables are soggy and waterlogged. I don't know if this is chicken or some other kind of poultry," a taster said.

All the others pizzas were rated very good. The Rising Crust Pizza Spicy Chicken Supreme from DiGiornio was found to be zesty and fresh-tasting by testers.

Freschetta Bakes & Rises Southwest Style Chicken Supreme with Roasted Red Peppers pizza is another very good choice. It has barbecued chicken and a flavorful blend of cheese and sauce that tasters said was smoky and spicy.