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Coleslaw is one of those dishes that has a million (maybe more?) iterations. Grandma's favorite, that version from the company picnic, the side dish at that incredible roadside barbecue stand from that road trip ... the list goes on and on. And it's impossible to choose a "best" slaw because, as with all things gustatory, taste is a matter of preference — not science. However, there is a best vinegar to use, and it's apple cider vinegar.
The reason is threefold: taste, chemical makeup, and health benefits. Though there's no shortage of other types of vinegar, none has this ideal trifecta to best complement your cabbage and its other coleslaw vegetable ingredients. Balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, sherry vinegar, red vinegar, rice wine vinegar and the like all are delicious and have their proper uses. Though they certainly can be used in coleslaw, apple cider vinegar is the rarely disputed best version of vinegar to use.
Apple cider vinegar 101
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Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apple juice. As the apple juice ferments, bacteria and yeast are added. This helps change the natural sugars into alcohol. As the alcohol continues to ferment, it turns into acetic acid, which gives apple cider vinegar its signature pleasantly sour tang. That's the chemical makeup that makes the vinegar tangy and bright. That lightly sour note — plus the remaining sweetness of the apple — gives apple cider vinegar an extremely balanced taste that is tangy but not overwhelming.
That balanced, multifaceted flavor lends itself well to all different types of coleslaw. Apple cider vinegar has a flavor all its own that complements other ingredients and is also malleable and mild enough to take on different flavor profiles, according to the type of slaw being prepared. As for health benefits, there are ongoing studies that show that it may help with lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, WebMD reports. And the taste benefits are already proven.
There's no law about slaw
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Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio has long praised cooking apple cider vinegar and cabbage, and using it in coleslaw is just an extension of that. The earthy root vegetable takes on all of the light, bright tang of the apple cider vinegar. Where to go from there with the dressing depends entirely upon your appetite. Go mayonnaise-based for a creamy balance to the dressing, adding mustard for a slight bite. Or stay vinegar-based, adding a neutral oil to balance the dressing.
Additional ingredients could include a sweetener like sugar or honey and flavorings like poppyseeds, granulated garlic or onion, and of course salt and pepper. For the slaw itself, don't limit yourself to the standard cabbage and carrot — any hearty vegetable should stand up to the dressing. Scallions, radish, celerity root, and other vegetables that can be enjoyed raw are all at home in a coleslaw. As, of course, is apple cider vinegar.
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