Tennessee’s first official food traces its origins to Cleveland

On Feb. 22, Cleveland became the “Hot Slaw Capital of Tennessee” as Hot Slaw became the first official state food of Tennessee. 

District 24 State Representative Kevin Raper proposed a bill naming Cleveland as the Hot Slaw Capital of Tennessee. However, before Cleveland could be awarded this title, hot slaw first had to be designated as an official food of Tennessee according to state constitution. Therefore, two bills had to be presented, HB1597 and HB1598. 

Both bills were unanimously passed through the House and the Senate.

The event that launched this year-long legislative process was the Hot Slaw & Art Y’all Festival hosted in Downtown Cleveland. This annual festival is put on as a partnership between the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, MainStreet Cleveland, City of Cleveland and Art is Here Partnership. 

“I was the judge at the hot slaw festival last year, and it came to me … this would be a great idea to run something state-wide about hot slaw. I then got to talking to different people, and they said, ‘Why don't we make Cleveland the hot slaw capital? Because it was formulated here,’” Rep. Raper said. 

From there, Rep. Raper, in partnership with State Senator Adam Lowe, proposed the bill.

“I’ve seem to garner more of the praise over it, but he’s had just as much of an impact as I have. I give him complete credit also. He’s done a great job,” Rep. Raper said. 

According to Melissa Woody, vice president of tourism for the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, hot slaw has a deep-rooted history in Cleveland.

“We started asking around, and people always had a story that led back to the old Star-Vue Drive-In movie theater. It seems to be the hub of what everybody remembers about hot slaw in this community,” Woody said. 

As someone born and raised in Cleveland, Woody was surprised when she learned that many people had no idea what hot slaw was. 

So, what is hot slaw?

Donna Brown, the two-time Amateur Slaw-Off winner at the festival, shares that her original hot slaw recipe includes cabbage, mustard, mayonnaise, onions, jalapeños and sometimes a little bit of sugar. 

A common misconception about hot slaw is partly due to its name. People think it’s served hot in temperature. However, hot slaw is hot, as in spicy.

“The easiest way I can explain it is it’s coleslaw with peppers and mustard. You eat it just like cole slaw, keep it in the refrigerator, and you got to remember the longer it sits, the hotter it gets,” Brown said. 

The amateur competition is for contestants who do not sell their hot slaw. In comparison, the professional slaw-off means that the hot slaw is available to purchase by the public. 

Brown has found success with her hot slaw and plans to enter the Amateur Slaw-Off competition again this year. 

“I enjoy the hot slaw festival, and I’m glad they started doing it because it kind of puts Cleveland on the map. Like Collegedale, they’ve got Little Debbie’s, Chattanooga with Moonpies and RC Cola, and now Cleveland with the hot slaw. It’s pretty neat,” Brown said. 

For those looking to try one of Tennessee’s newest state foods, many local Cleveland restaurants such as Big Tom’s, Couch’s and Lucy Lu’s Corner Cafe sell hot slaw. 

Hot slaw can also be purchased in a few Cleveland grocery stores. Food City, Food Lion and Sannie Mae’s Heirloom Foods sell hot slaw. 

For more information on how to visit the Hot Slaw Capital of Tennessee for the annual Hot Slaw & Art Y’all Festival on April 6, visit their website at hotslawfestival.com