The first original coleslaw consisted of only shredded cabbage and carrots. It was eaten without any cream or dressing but as the dish progressed with time,other ingredients,dressing or cream started to be added it, particularly the addition of mayonnaise.
One can’t exactly give a clear specific date when the original coleslaw was created & eaten but we know it originated in Netherland and the knowledge of the dish started spreading across the globe and becoming popular around the 17th century when the Dutch immigrants from Netherland came into one of the English colonies of America, “New Amsterdam” now known as “New York”, bringing with them the knowledge of coleslaw.
Coleslaw is a Dutch word that has been anglicized. Coleslaw was originally “koolsla” which is a combination of Dutch word of “Kool” & “Sla”, which meant “cabbage” & “salad” respectively, put together it means cabbage salad. As English became the more common language in the American colonies,the word started getting mixed up and people started thinking “Kool” meant “cool” or “cold”, thinking it must mean cold salad not cabbage salad.
Basic Recipe for Coleslaw
1.Shredded cabbage
2. Shredded carrots
3. Mayonnaise
Mix all together.
