Anglicised from the Dutch word koolsla (cabbage salad), Cole Slaw is, at its simplest, a salad of finely shredded cabbage mixed with a dressing, either creamy mayo based or a vinaigrette. Cabbage salad has been prepared in eastern Europe for centuries – krautsalat in Germany, капуста провансаль or kapusta provansa in Russia, and surówka z kapusty in Poland. It was the Dutch word koolsla that was anglicised after the Dutch settled New York State in 1624 and planted cabbages along the Hudson River, and it just caught on.

Prior to the invention of mayonnaise in the mid-18^th century the Dutch commonly dressed koolsla with a mixture of melted butter, vinegar, and oil. It seems to be in the Americas that the mayonnaise-based dressings really caught on. Ranch Dressing typically contains mayonnaise, buttermilk, and sour cream. I came across some recipes for KFC copycat coleslaw dressings, most of which contained milk, buttermilk, mayonnaise and rather a lot of sugar. Vinaigrette based dressings are still the norm in Europe, and some call for it to sit a vinegar brine overnight which makes the salad nearly a pickle. Here in New Zealand, hybrid country that we are, it is about personal preference.

It isn’t always about cabbage anymore, either. Any grated, julienned or thinly sliced crunchy vegetables and fruit, tossed together in either a vinaigrette or mayo-based dressing and called Slaw make the grade. Pictured are some variations I have been playing around with while we wait for the green cabbages to heart up.

DRESSING IDEAS:

Honey Mustard:  1 Tbsp each olive oil, cider vinegar, lemon juice, runny honey, grainy or dijon mustard, salt and pepper

White miso: 2 Tbsp white miso, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 clove garlic minced, 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger, salt and pepper

South-east Asian: 1 Tbsp each of olive oil, sesame oil, fish sauce, lemon or lime juice, rice wine vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic, salt and pepper

Ranch dressing: ¼ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayo, 2 T finely chopped dill, 2 Tbsp white vinegar, salt and pepper