Coleslaw

About the dish

Coleslaw takes its name from the Dutch koolsla, cabbage salad, which Dutch settlers brought to New Netherland, the colony that became New York. It became a fixture of American cooking, especially beside barbecue and fried food.

Cabbage, green or red, is shredded fine, often with grated carrot. A common step is to toss the shredded cabbage with salt, and sometimes a little sugar, and let it stand in a colander. This draws out water, so the slaw stays crisp and the dressing does not turn thin and watery in the bowl.

The two main dressings are creamy and vinegar-based. A creamy slaw uses mayonnaise loosened with vinegar or lemon and a little sugar. A vinegar slaw, common in the Carolinas, uses vinegar, sugar and oil, often with celery seed, and in parts of North Carolina a red slaw adds ketchup. Either way, the balance is sour and sweet with a little salt, and the crunch and acid cut through rich, smoky or fried food.

Written from general cooking knowledge, as background on a dish from the game’s recipe book. It is not a tested recipe.

The flavors it leans on

• Sour
• Sweet
• Salt