In Cleveland, Tenn., a side dish became the main event after it gained statewide recognition.
May 18, 2024Attend a barbecue, church potluck or summer dinner in the small city of Cleveland in eastern Tennessee, and somewhere on the table, there will be a dish of hot slaw.
People here slather it on hot dogs, plop it on pulled pork or simply reach for a heaping spoonful.
So when the State Legislature named hot slaw as Tennessee’s first official state food this year, born-and-raised residents elsewhere in the state were flummoxed.
What was this dish that had vaulted over Moon Pies, the hickory smoked barbecue of Memphis and Nashville’s hot chicken?
Organizations:
State Legislature
Locations:
Cleveland, Tenn, Tennessee, Memphis