Coleslaw
A cabbage-based side dish with global variations.
Coleslaw, also called cole slaw or simply slaw in North America, is a side dish built around finely shredded raw cabbage. It’s typically dressed with either vinaigrette or mayonnaise. The dish traces its roots to the Netherlands, where a recipe resembling coleslaw appeared in a 1667 Dutch cookbook. When made with vinaigrette, the pickling effect can give it a longer shelf life. The English name "coleslaw" emerged in the 1700s as an anglicized version of the Dutch *koolsla*, which literally means "cabbage salad."
The only ingredient that always appears in coleslaw is raw cabbage. Everything else—the type of cabbage, the dressing, and any extras—varies widely. Common additions include red cabbage, pepper, shredded carrots, onions, grated cheese, pineapple, pears, or apples. Dressings can be mayonnaise, cream, buttermilk, sour cream, or vinaigrette. Buttermilk coleslaw is especially typical in the southern United States. Other seasonings, like celery seed, may be used, and the cabbage can be finely minced, shredded into strips, or cut into small squares. There are also variants like broccoli slaw, which replaces cabbage with shredded raw broccoli.
In Europe, traditional German *Krautsalat* uses finely shredded cabbage marinated in oil and vinegar, sometimes with onions, apples, or caraway. In Italy, a version with cooked ham and julienned pepper is called *insalata capricciosa*. In Poland, cabbage salads similar to coleslaw are common side dishes with the main course, often alongside meat and potatoes. These typically include shredded white, red, or Chinese cabbage, chopped onions, shredded carrots, and parsley or dill, seasoned with salt, black pepper, sugar, and a dash of oil (usually sunflower or rapeseed) and vinegar—mayonnaise-based dressings are rare. An alternative, often served with fried fish, uses squeezed sauerkraut tossed with carrots, onions, pepper, sugar, and oil. Such raw shredded vegetable salads are called *surówka*; when cabbage is the base, it’s *surówka z kapusty*. The English term "coleslaw" in Poland mostly refers to the mayonnaise-dressed version, sometimes written as "colesław" or "kolesław." In Eastern Slavic countries (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), fresh shredded cabbage is mixed with carrots, apples, or cranberries and dressed with unrefined sunflower oil, or the cabbage may be marinated in vinegar to make *kapusta provansal*. A simil
- Origin
- Netherlands, 17th century
- Type
- Side dish
- Primary ingredient
- Raw cabbage
- Common dressings
- Vinaigrette, mayonnaise, cream, buttermilk
- Known for
- Variety of regional variations worldwide
Quick Facts
- Country
- Netherlands
- Course
- Side dish, condiment
- Main Ingredient
- Fine shredded raw cabbage, carrot; vinaigrette (acetic acid (vinegar essence) or vinegar, vegetable oil, salt) or mayonnaise and salad cream
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The 1667 Dutch cookbook The Sensible Cook contains a recipe that mixes thin strips of cabbage with melted butter, vinegar, and oil—an early version of coleslaw. The most commonly prepared recipe for coleslaw is a recent innovation, owing to the development of mayonnaise during the mid-18th century. According to The Joy of Cooking (1997), raw cabbage is the only entirely consistent ingredient in coleslaw; the type of cabbage, dressing, and added ingredients vary widely.
Coleslaw has evolved into various forms globally. In the United States, coleslaw often contains buttermilk, mayonnaise or substitutes, and carrot. In North Carolina, coleslaw is fine and vinegary and served with barbecue. In the Lexington, North Carolina area, red slaw is made using ketchup and vinegar rather than mayonnaise. In Montreal, c
Reader's Guide
Coleslaw's significance lies in its adaptability and global presence as a simple, versatile side dish. Originating in the Netherlands in the 18th century, it spread through Europe and North America, evolving into countless regional variations. The only consistent ingredient is raw cabbage, while dressings range from vinaigrette to mayonnaise, buttermilk, or cream, and additions include carrots, onions, apples, pineapple, cheese, and more. Its legacy is reflected in diverse forms: from the vinegar-based Montreal-style coleslaw and the ketchup-based red slaw of Lexington, North Carolina, to the mayonnaise-dressed versions common in the United States and the oil-and-vinegar salads of Poland and Germany. Coleslaw also appears as a topping for hot dogs in Montreal and pulled pork sandwiches in Memphis, Tennessee, where hot slaw flavored with jalapeño and mustard was named the first official state food of Tennessee in 2024. Its long shelf life when made with vinaigrette, due to pickling, adds practical value. Coleslaw remains a staple in home cooking, fast food, and barbecue, demonstrating how a simple dish can be endlessly reinvented while retaining its core identity.
Did You Know?
- The term 'coleslaw' arose in the 18th century as an anglicisation of the Dutch term koolsla, meaning 'cabbage salad'.
- The 1667 Dutch cookbook The Sensible Cook contains a recipe for coleslaw attributed to the author's Dutch landlady.
- In Montreal, coleslaw is vinegar-based and does not use mayonnaise or cream-based dressings.
- Hot slaw, flavored with jalapeño chilies and mustard, was named the first official state food of Tennessee in 2024.
More in German cuisine 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record