While coleslaw has a million (or more) iterations, the best vinegar to use is apple cider vinegar because of its taste, chemical makeup, and health benefits.

Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting apple juice, and as it ferments, bacteria and yeast are added. The alcohol becomes acetic acid, which makes the vinegar tangy and bright.

Apple cider vinegar has a flavor that complements other ingredients, but it’s also malleable and mild enough to take on different flavor profiles, depending on the slaw it’s in.

Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio has long praised cooking apple cider vinegar and cabbage, but hearty vegetables like carrots, scallions, radishes, and celery root will also work well.

For the dressing, you can go mayonnaise-based or stay vinegar-based and add a neutral oil. Try other additions like sugar, honey, granulated garlic or onion, and poppyseeds.