Coleslaw is a traditional South African salad that has stood the test of time.
No South African braai, Sunday lunch or picnic is complete without one.
Cookbook author Pumla Brook-Thomae notes that coleslaw happens to be one of South Africa’s most popular salads, whose nickname (Johane 14) is synonymous with biblical scripture because it is always present on most South African tables whenever there is a gathering.
“The beauty of this salad lies in its simple preparation; few ingredients are used, yet it is packed with flavour, texture, and appeal to the eye. In South African township homes, this salad is normally made with just three ingredients: cabbage, carrots and mayonnaise.”
The common way of enjoying this salad in South Africa is by mixing shredded cabbage, which is coarsely grated, with a mayonnaise dressing.
In some instances, the cabbage and carrot are cooked with the dark green leaves of the cabbage, a dash of vinegar and seasoning, and served as a side, along with other vegetables, for Sunday lunch.
“The coleslaw salad has, however, evolved over the years, with many additions such as celery, raisins and the mayonnaise dressing swopped for cream dressings such as sour cream,” notes Brook-Thomae.
But recently, this nostalgic dish became a victim of the popular bizarre food combination trend. Facebook kept buzzing after a popular food page posted “coleslaw pops” (coleslaw ingredients transformed into a popsicle).
The image showed several colourful coleslaw popsicles placed on a bed of chopped purple cabbage. Aesthetically, the popsicles looked stunning with purple, orange, and green hues peeking out through the white treat.
Sharing the picture, they wrote, “Nothin’ beats coleslaw pops on a hot summer day”.
The image appears to have been edited or made using artificial intelligence-backed tools.
Nonetheless, it prompted a lot of mock outrage from foodies.
Commenting on it, one user wrote: “Chowing on iced cabbage and mayonnaise is crazy. Someone has to face jail time”.
Another person said, “This is the most twisted, the most wicked, and most diabolical thing I’ve seen in years!”
A third wrote: “AI or aliens had to create this. No human would do this, I pray lol.”
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