Cashews On Pizza?

July 13, 2023 7:40 AM

cashews on pizza, a salty, buttery, crunchy topping that has gained a cult following in the Inland Empire The city of Redlands, located over 60 miles east of Los Angeles, is where cashew pizza originated in the 1960s, eventually spreading to neighboring cities like Riverside and Yucaipa.
posted by SituationNormal (65 comments total)

Inland Empire
posted by zamboni at 7:48 AM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

The best part of making your own pizza, is you get to put whatever the fuck you want to put on top. This sounds pretty tasty. May give it a try.
posted by Fizz at 7:49 AM on July 13, 2023 [5 favorites]

I can say one thing from recent experimentation : Cashews and a lighter Madeira wine (sercial or verdelho) = 💣
posted by lalochezia at 7:49 AM on July 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

What’s wrong with peanuts?
posted by Phanx at 7:50 AM on July 13, 2023

When I was in high school there was a local pizza chain that offered blanched almonds as a topping.
posted by Ashwagandha at 7:53 AM on July 13, 2023

Years ago, I stopped into a pizza place which made a curry pizza with cashews and mushrooms, which was divine. Nuts are hardly the strangest or most inappropriate thing to put on pizza.
posted by Panjandrum at 8:05 AM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

I know someone who grew up in Riverside whose parents had a vacation home in Olympia and I'm genuinely curious if their family was the source of the cross pollination. In any case I'll put cashews on anything so this seems great
posted by potrzebie at 8:08 AM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

I would eat that with glee.
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:14 AM on July 13, 2023

We used to get a pizza with pesto, pine nuts and wild mushrooms, it was great.

My favourite pie these days is using left over curry sauce (madras usually) instead of tomato sauce, and then covering it with red onions and roasting that in the oven.
posted by furtive at 8:15 AM on July 13, 2023 [4 favorites]

I'm going to put this in every pizza topping post until it sticks. Green olives, people. Green olives.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 8:16 AM on July 13, 2023 [7 favorites]

I discovered pine nuts on pizza (probably the first time I encountered pine nuts, period) as an 11-year-old on vacation in I think Connecticut, and for a while there I demanded the things at home and was highly put out when they were denied me. That episode of King of the Hill where Bobby Hill becomes infatuated with capers* always makes me wince, as that was exactly what I was like with pine nuts on pizza.

Anyway, even though I'm sort of picky about pizza toppings these days, I would totally give cashews a try. Bet they're tasty.

(*come to think of it, I also went through a period of caper obsession, too. Oh geeze.)
posted by DingoMutt at 8:20 AM on July 13, 2023 [5 favorites]

When I was in high school there was a local pizza chain that offered blanched almonds as a topping.

Almonds were almost compulsory toppings on Korean pizza a few years ago. Maybe they still are.
posted by the christopher hundreds at 8:23 AM on July 13, 2023

I can be a bit trad when it comes to pizza toppings (pineapple, ugh) but I do love cashews. I think it would depend on what the other toppings/sauce were...

there is/was an Indian pizza place in San Francisco, which was quite good, but I'm here to tell you if you ever have the chance to dip your pizza in tikka masala sauce DO IT!!!
posted by supermedusa at 8:28 AM on July 13, 2023 [5 favorites]

Are we still doing this?

Eat what you like.
Don't force other people to eat what they don't like.

There.
Done.
posted by Faintdreams at 8:34 AM on July 13, 2023 [4 favorites]

My preferences: (not that you asked but still)
- Cherry not beef tomatoes
- Red and sweet onions
- Any hard cheese as long as it doesn't have mold or fruit as a component
- Fuck OFF with BRIE
- Anchovies are evil, so are Olives.
- Pineapple is not to be eaten hot, but you do you as long as you don't get any chunks or juice on my slices.
- STUFFED CRUST FTW.

Bonus:
Chicago Deep Crust pizza IS A FUCKING QUICHE YOU DEMENTED CHEESE FREAKS.
QUICHE !


::Puts back to the wall for incoming attacks::
posted by Faintdreams at 8:41 AM on July 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

I'm not a big pizza eater, but I like this idea better than the pickle thing that people were talking about a couple of weeks ago...
posted by Mchelly at 8:42 AM on July 13, 2023

Is it pizza without crust?
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:45 AM on July 13, 2023

There used to be a deep-dish pizza chain called Bel Canto in the Boston area that had a broccoli and walnut pie. It worked!
posted by staggernation at 8:54 AM on July 13, 2023

in the immortal words of Homer Simpson...Sacrelicious!
posted by supermedusa at 8:56 AM on July 13, 2023 [6 favorites]

Walnuts and pesto!
posted by Mr. Yuck at 9:02 AM on July 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

What’s wrong with peanuts?

Pulling a football away resulting in harm. That might have been funny years ago but its not cool.

Add whatever you want to a pizza if that brings you joy. Just don't expect others to share your joy.

Oh and you may not like this bit of data but Wal*Mart actually stocks whole milk mozzarella. If that brings you joy of course.
posted by rough ashlar at 9:03 AM on July 13, 2023

This sounds pretty good to me. Cashews are the default protein ingredient in my home, and they end up in most everything with a pasta or rice base. If they work with farfalle and marinara, I don't see why they wouldn't work on a pizza.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 9:04 AM on July 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

Green olives, people. Green olives.

Is that two layers of green olives sandwiching a center layer of people , or simply twice the amount of green olives as people?
posted by Thorzdad at 9:10 AM on July 13, 2023 [18 favorites]

I like making pizza. I hate reading about pizza "hot takes".
posted by pthomas745 at 9:10 AM on July 13, 2023

Green olives, people. Green olives.

And yet the type of green olive is not mentioned. Reject smoked Castelvetrano olives. Pizza placement won't save them.
posted by rough ashlar at 9:13 AM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Pistachios are fantastic on pizza, so I don't see any reason cashews wouldn't also be good. For whatever reason I don't see the flavor of peanuts or pecans working in that context, but cracked hazelnuts would also probably be good. Anything that would work as the nut component of a pesto should work, I'd think.
posted by slkinsey at 9:14 AM on July 13, 2023 [4 favorites]

When I was a kid we experimented with putting M&Ms on pizza.

It wasn't half bad. The chocolate would melt inside the candy shell and the color would gradually seep into the oil coloring the cheese.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 9:15 AM on July 13, 2023

That episode of King of the Hill where Bobby Hill becomes infatuated with capers* always makes me wince, as that was exactly what I was like with pine nuts on pizza.


One of my friends just got back from a vacation, where her kid became obsessed with a regional-favorite hot sauce. She bought him a regular-size bottle. He put it on everything, and emptied the bottle in like three days. So she ordered a gallon of it.
posted by box at 9:16 AM on July 13, 2023 [3 favorites]

Man, I miss cashews....my kid has a life threatening allergy to them (discovered when he went into anaphylaxis in front of me after accidentally ingesting 1/4 of a cashew! Do not recommend that experience!). I can eat them when he's not around, but I miss cooking with them! Never had them on pizza, but I used to make a pistachio/rosemary/pear pizza that was amazing. I bet this is tasty too!
posted by TheFantasticNumberFour at 9:21 AM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Anchovies are evil, so are Olives.

worst ... palindrome ... evar
posted by chavenet at 9:29 AM on July 13, 2023 [12 favorites]

I've never had cashews on pizza, but it doesn't strike me as radical due to their not uncommon use in Asian cuisine.
posted by fairmettle at 9:32 AM on July 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

Omg how expensive is this? I'm sure it's delightful tho.
posted by tiny frying pan at 9:36 AM on July 13, 2023

This sounds really good.

I can be a bit trad when it comes to pizza toppings (pineapple, ugh)

How long does something have to be around and popular before it becomes traditional. Pineapple has been on pizza for over 60 years now.
posted by Mitheral at 9:42 AM on July 13, 2023 [8 favorites]

Complaining about it is less than a decade old afaict.
posted by flabdablet at 10:03 AM on July 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

Faintdreams: Are we still doing this? Eat what you like. Don't force other people to eat what they don't like. There. Done.

Doing what, exactly? I see zero people arguing otherwise.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 10:05 AM on July 13, 2023

I was sick and out of my mind on cold medicine recently, and I ordered a pizza because years of work perks meant I had a sizeable credit with GrubHub. My usual pizza spot was not available, so I went with a lower-tier one that was still pretty good. I ordered pepperoni, smoked mozzarella and kalamata olives, which is a frequent favorite of mine.

The pizza arrived with what I thought were grass clippings on top, and I seriously thought the driver was fucking with me. But he wasn't. I fat-fingered customizing my pizza order and ended up with an awful pizza covered in chopped chives instead of sliced olives.
posted by emelenjr at 10:12 AM on July 13, 2023 [3 favorites]

Omg how expensive is this? I'm sure it's delightful tho.

I just checked – cashews are US$6.11/lb at my regular supermarket. Their cheapest, pre-sliced pepperoni is $9.57/lb, their middle-of-the road unsliced pepperoni is $13.76/lb. The store brand of fresh mozzarella is $6.49/lb. Olives are around $11/lb, depending on variety.

I don't think that cashew pizza is going to bankrupt you, at least not if you're shopping at my supermarket. Are cashews pricier elsewhere?
posted by escape from the potato planet at 10:16 AM on July 13, 2023

Cashews are sometimes far more expensive then like peanuts...I was wondering knowing that, if there would be a big upcharge from the pizza place. Not talking about making one myself.
posted by tiny frying pan at 10:28 AM on July 13, 2023

(Cause...I live in Chicago and rarely make pizza cause there are so many good options to get)
posted by tiny frying pan at 10:30 AM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Cashew advice…. Trader Joe’s are cheaper but get ready for the occasional moldy one. Costco… moldy ones are rare and price is good. I love cashews all by themselves. Cashews in the very very raw are a sight to behold. May explain the price…
posted by njohnson23 at 10:44 AM on July 13, 2023

I'm going to put this in every pizza topping post until it sticks. Green olives, people. Green olives.

Add garlic, throw on parsley and capers after baking and you've got yourself a pizza puttanesca.
posted by device55 at 10:50 AM on July 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

Chicago deep dish pizza is a casserole, not a quiche. No eggs. It's perfectly fine, but you have to be in the mood for that specific kind of pizza. If someone said "we're getting pizza" and they ordered a bunch of chicago deep dish... that would not thrill me. (I would still eat it.)

As long as the pizza is vegetarian, I'll give it a go. Crunchy cashews sound fun!
posted by obfuscation at 10:55 AM on July 13, 2023

Cashews? Gesundheit!
posted by SPrintF at 10:56 AM on July 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

I'm not a huge cashew fan, but I'd give it a try. Hazelnuts or pistachios (as someone mentioned upthread) sound very intriguing on a pizza.
posted by slogger at 11:01 AM on July 13, 2023

Ugh, I'm all for gustatory novelty, but pizzerias were one of the few common/normal places that felt comfortably free of tree nut allergens. You would sometimes encounter pistachios in cannolis, but it general they were a great place to bring your tree-nut allergic kid and let them eat normally with the rest of their friends. Big Cashew has invaded most other commercial kitchens -- I've even seen cashew in sushi recently. Hoping this does not catch on here. Sigh.
posted by apparently at 11:07 AM on July 13, 2023 [5 favorites]

Chicago deep dish pizza is a casserole, not a quiche.

It's more like a brick of cheese, and locals rarely eat it. We should be known for what we do eat, which is more of a crispy bar pizza, cut into a grid, like our streets.
posted by tiny frying pan at 11:10 AM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Yeah, the tree nut allergy safe space is definitely a good point. :(
posted by obfuscation at 11:38 AM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

We should be known for what we do eat, which is more of a crispy bar pizza, cut into a grid, like our streets.

Kenji has you covered.
posted by mmascolino at 12:03 PM on July 13, 2023 [4 favorites]

I'd never thought to try this, but it sounds like it'd be really good. Next time I make pizza myself, maybe...

Pineapple is not to be eaten hot, but you do you as long as you don't get any chunks or juice on my slices.

Not getting into it on pizza, but my Paraguayan neighbour introduced me to sliced pineapple on the grill, drizzled with a little cinnamon, and I cannot recommend it enough as a dessert when you're cooking outdoors.
posted by Dysk at 12:23 PM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Kenji has you covered.
posted by mmascolino

Oh God that link has quotes from Steve Dolinsky who has his photo in every eatery in town. Man likes food. It does not surprise me he wrote a book about Chicago pizza cause I bet he ate at every restaurant there was.

I'd rather let the people who own pizza ovens make pizza. Also my brother in law makes good pizza at home, if a little doughy sometimes.

Quite honestly, I've been off pizza since last visiting relatives in New England, where we had pizza like 5 times in 4 days. They are obsessed with pizza out there.
posted by tiny frying pan at 12:37 PM on July 13, 2023

I'd eat it.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:56 PM on July 13, 2023

Pineapple is not to be eaten hot

Beg to differ.
posted by flabdablet at 1:06 PM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm going to put this in every pizza topping post until it sticks. Green olives, people. Green olives.

aka: the Soylent Green pizza with double olives
posted by fairmettle at 1:49 PM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Came here hoping to find recommendations on where to find this on the East Coast, sigh. Also agreeing that curry and pizza are brilliant together. We have a few "Indian pizza" places serving really delicious tikka and vindaloo pies around DC, though I still long for Baltimore's very 90s fusion pizzas involving overly sweet chutneys and cilantro.
posted by Il etait une fois at 2:01 PM on July 13, 2023

Is that two layers of green olives sandwiching a center layer of people , or simply twice the amount of green olives as people?

Just source your humans sustainably.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:43 PM on July 13, 2023

As far as finding it east coast, it sounds like all you do is toss em on 2 minutes before the pizza is done. The original drunk just dumped them on top at the table. Make it happen!
posted by caviar2d2 at 4:19 PM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Grilled pineapple on a burger is pretty good too.
posted by Mitheral at 5:01 PM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Is that two layers of green olives sandwiching a center layer of people , or simply twice the amount of green olives as people?


Olive green is people!
posted by chavenet at 5:14 PM on July 13, 2023

Crushed Fritos corn chips. They give a bit of texture, some salt, and some crunchy corn goodness to your pizza.
posted by blob at 5:46 PM on July 13, 2023

I just kinda love that this is traceable to a specific guy, everyone knows who he was, and the idea exists in two geographic areas because he moved between those places.

...I dunno, in a world of "well we're not sure why it started, but it was probably sometime in the 1930s..." it's nice to have a result that's "yeah, we know who, why, and when."

(also, Costco raw cashews would be a good choice here since they could maybe roast alongside the other ingredients. Also, if you haven't tried unroasted cashew they're nice in a slightly different way and more flexible in recipes)
posted by aramaic at 5:48 PM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Oh wow, I did a lot of my growing up in Olympia and Dirty Dave's was a regular post rehearsals, birthdays, or the odd night out. My Ma loves the cashew pizza and still gets it for takeout on occasion. I like their pepperoni.
posted by calamari kid at 8:42 PM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

There is a local pizza place that does the following (from their website):

The Nutcracker

An enchanting creation of mozzarella, parmesan, gorgonzola, and fontina cheeses, sprinkled with pistachios and roasted peppers, all topping our house basil pesto.

It is probably the best pizza they make.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 9:25 AM on July 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

Huh.
So, I went to school at Redlands, one of my teachers/coaches there had been since the 70s at least, and would order pepperoni and cashews, which seemed unusual, but is actually really good. I had some other friends who would get it for parties or whatever, and I just thought it was something I hadn't heard of.

I've looked for it since and never seen it, so when I had the urge I just couldn't find it (i'm quite a ways away from the inland empire these days).

Had no idea it was a Redlands thing. Guess that explains it.
posted by lkc at 10:34 AM on July 15, 2023

Big Al 8000, I read that description and was like "wait, I know that pizza". So good. Definitely something I miss from living there!
posted by augustimagination at 4:01 PM on July 15, 2023

> Oh wow, I did a lot of my growing up in Olympia and Dirty Dave's was a regular post rehearsals, birthdays, or the odd night out.

I used to work by Dirty Dave's and have eaten so much of their cashew pizza. I haven't been there in decades, but I bet it's barely changed.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:28 PM on July 19, 2023