I’m just speculating, but there are a few reasons why I think Coleslaw Salad is so popular in Jamaica today.
1. Jamaicans love KFC! Fast food chicken was definitely not around was I was growing up in Jamaica, but today KFC is very popular and may be the inspiration behind why coleslaw salad is almost always served with take-out Jamaican food there and abroad.
2. Cabbage is a lot cheaper than lettuce. You can make A LOT of coleslaw salad with one cabbage and one or two carrots.
3. It lasts. The vinaigrette dressing will preserve this salad for several days. In fact, I think it gets tastier.
You can expect Jamaican coleslaw to be on the sweet side. Some people also like to use mayonnaise, but my recipe is traditional and easy. I prefer the clean flavour of a vinaigrette dressing with zing!
Make-ahead tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to a week
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp (10 mL) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp (1 mL) salt
- ¼ tsp (1 mL) pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 6 cups (1.5 L) shredded green cabbage
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 2 green onions, chopped
- In large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, black pepper and garlic
- Add cabbage, carrot and green onions; toss to coat
- Let stand for 15 minutes before serving
