We really love coleslaw.

There’s something about its crunchy texture that sets it apart from the usual salads. And for us, it’s a welcome change.

Unlike most salads, coleslaw also seems to have some traditional entrée partners. These are dishes that you almost EXPECT to be served with it. Dishes like fish and chips, fried chicken and barbecued pork. And perhaps no salad (and the term salad is “loosely” applied here) is more synonymous with summer backyard parties and picnics than coleslaw.

And just like grilling and barbecue dishes themselves, we all have our favorite types or our favorite recipes: creamy style, vinaigrette style, shredded, chopped…the variety is nearly endless.

One thing most all of them have in common is cabbage.

Warning!! Etymology Zone Ahead…

Coleslaw was probably consumed, in its earliest form, in the times of the ancient Romans. Since then, it has been adopted by many countries, especially the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Belgium and Spain. The popular “mayonnaise” version, however, could not have arisen until the 18th century as “mayonnaise” had not yet been invented.

Kind of a Funny Name?

The term “coleslaw” arose in the 18th century as a partial translation from the Dutch word “koolsla,” an abbreviation of the word “koolsalade,” which means “cabbage salad.” It was commonly called COLD SLAW in Britain until the mid 1800s when “cole” (meaning cabbage) was revived. The word “cole” itself originates from the Latin “colis,” meaning “cabbage,” and is the origin of the Dutch word as well. In addition to calling it coleslaw, U.S. Southerners also refer to it as just “slaw.”

Today, coleslaw generally refers to the variation of cabbage-based recipes using either a mayonnaise or oil-and-vinegar dressing. Of course, there are also many pre-prepared dressings on the market. In our humble opinion, Nino’s Market Style Coleslaw Dressing is one of the very best. Its balanced flavors of creamy mayonnaise with just the right amount of tangy sweetness is touched with just a hint of horseradish to give our dressing a bold and zesty flavor you can’t find anywhere else. If you have yet to try it, do yourself a big favor and give it a shot.

Of course, coleslaw begins with fresh cabbage, and Nino’s shreds, tosses and packages its own Coleslaw Cabbage Mix to give you everything you need in one package, without the need to buy each vegetable or sharpen your kitchen knives. Just open one of our packages, toss with one cup of our Market Style Coleslaw dressing, and you’re done.

Wait! There’s more!

But don’t stop there; we also have 6 MORE great coleslaw recipes just waiting to be tried. Each recipe requires only one package of our fresh Coleslaw Cabbage Mix and a minimal amount of additional ingredients.

To entice you, I’ve listed the recipe links for Italian,  honey mustard,  Asian,  apple, barbecue and Greek-style coleslaws, all right on our website–all of them fast, fresh and easy, the way outdoor dining recipes should be!

If you like coleslaw as much as we do, you’ll want to stop by Nino’s Produce Department, pick up a package of our coleslaw mix and try one of these great recipes this upcoming weekend.

VISIT OUR RECIPES PAGE!