Coleslaw
- Lucian@going2paris.net
- Jul 31, 2020
- 1 min read

My whole life I assumed Coleslaw was a French word meaning “good on pulled pork sandwich.” I was wrong.
Coleslaw, or a variation of a cabbage and vinegar based salad that involved eggs, has been consumed since Ancient Rome. Modern variations take the egg and crank it up a notch by using mayonnaise instead of vinaigrette.
The origin of the term “Coleslaw” comes from the Dutch word, koolsla, which was a shortened version of the term koolsalade, which literally meant “Cabbage Salad.” The change from “Koolsla” to “Coleslaw” came from Dutch immigrants to, you guessed it, America. As a result, Coleslaw in its current form is largely considered an American culinary achievement, first appearing in American literature as early as 1785.
Cole slaw and barbecue have another thing in common, which you tangentially alluded to. Cole slaw comes on two basic varieties: vinegar-based and mayo-based. Barbecue also comes in two varieties: vinegar-based or tomato-based....