Cole Slaw

[LindaTrent]

Our latest edition of the Citizens' Companion arrived yesterday, and as I was looking over it I got to questioning the article on "Pork in the 1860s." The author touches on the topic of cole slaw and states that it "is probably a colloquial term derived from a misspelling of 'cold slaugh." He goes on to say "It does not appear to come from a German term or any other nonsense you may read."

It had always been my understanding that the word 'cole' was the German word for cabbage, so cole slaw would be a cabbage salad. The Manual of English Pronunciation and Spelling, ca 1861 on Making of America (UM) ... has the word "Cole (24), n. a plant of the cabbage family. [see Coal, 160.]"

It's easy to see how the word "cole" can be misheard by English as cold, because slaw tends to be served cold, though there is also warm/hot slaw. Mrs. Bryan, Mrs. Haskell, Mrs. Nicholson, Mrs. Goodfellow, and no doubt others, have receipts for "cold slaw," but is that because they're differentiating the cold from warm and/or hot slaw, or because that's what they heard, or what? So now I became more curious about the term and wanted to find out more about cole slaw and the etymology of the phrase.

The Southern Literary Messenger, March 1842 had an article on cabbage in which the author writes,

"Is not Kale of the same family with the German Kohl, (cabbage,) with which our English terms Cole, Colewort, or cauliflower, are connected!

"Cabbage appears to have been a favorite article of food with our northern
ancestors; the following may amuse you--
German ----Kohl.
Dutch ------Kool
Swedish----Kal (Kol)
Danish -----Kaal.
Islandic-----Kal
Anglo Saxon ---- Caul, Cawl, Caol.

"Only to think of our orthographical (not to speak of our vegetable) murder in the case of what we call cole-slaw! (Kohl-schlacht -- Kool-slag.)"

Foodtimeline.org
says

"Coleslaw. Also, 'cabbage salad,' Shredded cabbage, mayonnaise, and seasonings, usually served cold as a side dish. The words are from Dutch koolsla, a combination of kool, 'cabbage,' and sla, 'salad' a dish that was known in America in print by 1785. Because it is usually served cold, some call the dish 'cold slaw' in contrast to 'hot slaw,' but there is no relation to the temperature in the etymology." ---The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 92)

So, how can the writer state that cole slaw is not of German origin, or any other nonsense? Am I missing something?

Linda

[FloridaBelle]

Re: Cole Slaw

This is very intersting to hear about. I will most certainly have to read that article. Thank you for sharing.

[Vuhginyuh]

My Bavarian grandmother came to America in 1948. I’m not sure how…or even why… but she serves a hot slaw that isn’t cooked. I know the chopped cabbage is wilted with a really hot dressing and then she keeps it warm on an odd water-filled hot plate. She refers to cole/cold slaw as salad.

I gave her call just now to see how she was and to read her your post. Of course hot slaw is German she says, but she thinks everything is.

She was no help as to the age of the recipe but she clearly remembers her ancient great-grandmother fixing it in the 30’s.

(And the hot water filled plates date to the early 1700’s)

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: Cole Slaw

Ma'am-

On the Food Network the other day- the program "Good Eats" to be precise (fun show :p:D), the term cole slaw was attributed to the Dutch "Kool Salade" [sic] a term meaning "cabbage salad".

Wiki confirms this:

The term, "cole slaw", arose in the 18th century as a partial translation from the Dutch term "koolsla", a shortening of "koolsalade", which means "cabbage salad".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cole_slaw

From what I have researched/read/seen, historically, it sounds like just a general term for shredded cabbage- exact ingredients unknown.

The word is Dutch, though.

Europeans to this day LOVE mayo, though (I hate it... much to my chagrin when I lived there.:confused_).

Funny that I learned so much about a food that I dislike so much...

Hope this helps your research.

Thanks- Johnny Lloyd

[Lone Guard]

Re: Cole Slaw

So, how can the writer state that cole slaw is not of German origin, or any other nonsense? Am I missing something?

Linda

I don't think you are missing anything; I believe the writer... is. ;)

Just because something is in print, doesn't make it so.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Cole Slaw

So, how can the writer state that cole slaw is not of German origin, or any other nonsense? Am I missing something?

Linda

Linda,

I don't think you are missing anything. In the Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language the term "cole" is defined as "Sax. caul, cawl or cawel; Lat. caulis; D[utch]. kool; G[erman]. kohl;, Sw[iss]. kal; Dan[ish]. kaal; W[elsh]. cawl; Ir[ish]. colis, coilis; It[alian], cavcolo; Sp[anish]. col. Port[uguese]. couve; Arm[emian]. caulin, colen; Fr[ench] chou] The general name of all sorts of cabbage or Brasica; but we generally use in in it compounds, cole-wort, cauliflower, &etc."

There were recipes for both warm and cold slaw in the feeding of America site.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Cole Slaw

This is Virginia's spouse adding one additional comment.

The dictionary that was the source of the quoted material was the 1861 edition.

Michael Mescher

[LindaTrent]

The dictionary that was the source of the quoted material was the 1861 edition.Michael Mescher

Thanks Michael. I've gotten so interested in this topic that today I've even started experimenting with all the cole slaw recipes that I've found. I looked at 17 cookbooks ranging from 1796 - 1880 (the majority 1865 or before), and all of them that had a recipe called it "cold slaw."

However, I do find it funny that there seemed to be (particularly in 1842) a cry to "chronicle the word, to save some future investigator the difficulties attendant on the inquiry into the meaning of the word slaw and the determining of its true botanical designation.” They wanted to save us the trouble, now that's what I call sweet. By the way, they want to save the term "cole slaw," or "cabbage salad. :tounge_sm

As I said, I'm experimenting with the various recipes, and right now after trying just the cabbage, vinegar, and salt (1854). And then added pepper and sugar to the vinegar and salt (1861). I feel like I'm about to die. It must take a special palate to handle that combination. I just went back to the kitchen and poured on more sugar! Wow! Our ancestors were strong. I wonder if one really needs the roasted meat to go with it. :)

Tomorrow I experiment with the egg receipts. This experimenting is great fun! ;)

Thanks again,

Linda.

[SusanOdom]

Re: Cole Slaw

Hi Linda

I have a favorite 'slaw' recipe it is from _The Kentucky Housewife_ and she calls it 'Warm Slaugh.' An odd way to spell the word and I noticed in the index she spells its 'Warm Slaw". I guess consistency was not important to Mrs. Lettice Bryan the author or maybe the index was written by someone else?

I make the recipe thus, put about two to three tablespoons of butter (I never really measure I'm guessing that is how much I use) in a big cast iron frying pan, add some salt and pepper, when this starts to bubble and just before it would start burning add about two to three tablespoons or more vinegar. Mix and stir well for just a few seconds and then add the cabbage that you previously sliced very nicely and thinly like for kraut. This recipe is not good with big chunky pieces of cabbage they have to be very thinly sliced taking advantage of the layering in the head of cabbage.

You stir the cabbage into the hot ingredients in the fry pan- stir just enough to get it hot all the way through then serve immediately with minced hard boiled eggs! This is easy to put together and is done at the last minute.

You are right – these recipes taste good with meat. Not something you eat just on its own. I think the sour taste compliments the meat and would be further contrasted by a sweet sauce such as apple sauce with pork or currant jelly with beef

Susan Odom

[LindaTrent]

Re: Cole Slaw

I have a favorite 'slaw' recipe it is from _The Kentucky Housewife_ and she calls it 'Warm Slaugh.'

I make the recipe thus...

You stir the cabbage into the hot ingredients in the fry pan- stir just enough to get it hot all the way through then serve immediately with minced hard boiled eggs! This is easy to put together and is done at the last minute. Susan Odom

Okay, enough of this, I'm on a low cholesterol diet, and I'm not supposed to have a lot of butter and eggs. :cry_smile Seriously though, I gave it up yesterday to try the 'cold slaw' beaten egg yolk recipe by Leslie. It had me heat all the ingredients (except the cabbage), something the first two did not. It actually said to leave out in the snow or ice, and since it's 90 degrees here, we have neither, so I stuck it in the fridge instead. Guess that makes me a farb. :D

Simmons, 1796; Lee, 1832; Child, 1833; Beecher, 1851; Chadwick, 1853; Randolph 1820-1860, all had no cold slaw recipes. Bryan, 1839, was the first to have a receipt for cold and warm slaw, and I have yet to make her cold slaw. I have now made Hutchinson, 1854; Haskell, 1861, both which had no egg. And as of yesterday I've tried Eliza Leslie, 1851 and Mrs. Goodfellow's first recipe, 1865, both with raw egg yolks. These recipes with the beaten egg looked more like today's traditional cole slaw dressing, but still don't suit eating as a lone dish. Bryan differs from the others I tried only in adding mustard seed and pickled egg, while Goodfellow's other recipe includes cream. Nicholson only differs in the use of sprinkled hard boiled egg. I don't think Bryan or Nicholson would change dramatically in flavor. Goodfellow with the cream might. (I'm glad my doctor's not on the forums). :D

In the 20th/21st century I love cole slaw and have been known to make an entire meal out of it. But I couldn't do it with the 19th century recipes. It really does need the meat. I find this really funny because I love dressed cucumbers (salt, pepper and vinegar) like we did at the trial event, but when one puts the same ingredients on the cabbage it just has a completely different flavor. Any thoughts as to why? I mean other than one's cabbage and the other's cucumbers. :)

For what it's worth, I now have an eight page article on the topic, just since the Citizens' Companion came the other day (actually the article was in the Watchdog, which was in the CC), but anyway... I've debated sending it to Connie at the CC.

Well, enough for now. I can go on and on about slaw.

Linda.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: Cole Slaw

For what it's worth, I now have an eight page article on the topic, just since the Citizens' Companion came the other day (actually the article was in the Watchdog, which was in the CC), but anyway... I've debated sending it to Connie at the CC.

Well, enough for now. I can go on and on about slaw.

Linda.

I think you should send your findings to the CC for an article. I'm sure that everyone would enjoy the topic and could use the solid research on the topic.

[SusanOdom]

Re: Cole Slaw

I think you should send it in as an article too! Your post made me smile and laugh! It is nice to know that others are as crazy about 19th century recipes as I am! Cole Slaw, Cabbage salads, can be tricky. If not made well they turn out really blah. I’m not positive why dressed tomatoes and cucumbers usually turn out ok with out as much fuss - maybe because those vegetables have a better flavor to start with? Maybe the flavor of the cabbage needs to be developed....

I read about and then tried with success storing cabbages in the ground. After harvest of late cabbages, in Michigan that is sometime in October, a pit is dug and lined with straw. Place the cabbages on the straw and pack them with straw on the sides and on the top. Now cover them with dirt and then mark the mound – so you can find it when it snows. They keep nicely this way. They develop a nut like taste and turn much whiter. Miss Leslie mentioned something about cooling the ‘sauce’ in the snow – maybe that type of cole slaw was a winter recipe for use with stored cabbage? Maybe that ‘nutty’ tasting cabbage tastes better in those recipes than the cabbage you buy at the grocery store? Just some more thoughts.

Susan Odom

https://www.allaboutfoodways.com

[OlszowyTM]

Re: Cole Slaw

I grew up thinking cabbage was one of the major food groups. My grandparents, both sets, came from the "old country" (Poland) and the recipes were passed by word of mouth from generation to generation so its hard to tell exactly how far back some of them went. Cabbage managed to make it into just about every major family meal at least once a week. I do know that much of the concern was with preservation as stories from my ggrangparents indicated little or no refrigeration capabilities outside of cold weather & how easy I had it, whenever as a kid I would gripe about how hard chores were.

What is interesting in retrospect with regards to this conversation, is that many of the combos were with some type acid either vinegar or tomatoes, tempered with sugar & salt & very little mayo bases.Seems my ancestors were shooting for sweet, sour, salty & spicy in a dish long before the Food Channel made it hip. Our slaw was both hot & cold with pepper, caraway or fennel seed added. Then there was cabbage with large flat noodles and sour cream, pigs in a blanket, cabbage stew, and saurkraut. Here in upstate NY there are fields of cabbages & you can certainly tell when its harvest time. The odor is unique! Cabbages are relatively good keepers and don't tend to rot as fast as other veggies.

[LindaTrent]

Re: Cole Slaw

I was contacted on New Year's day about cole slaw again, and I just finished a rather lengthy answer. If anyone has any interest in seeing my conclusions you're welcome to visit my website where they're posted. I hate to put in a day's worth of research for a single person, so I decided to share. :D

I never knew that something as simple as cole slaw could be so controversial.

http://thebradfordplace1863.homestead.com/ColeSlaw.html

Linda.