[amberleigh]

I've tried sushi twice at a local restaurant and not gotten sick...maybe a little gassy/bloaty but that happens a lot b/c I also have IBS so I tend to ignore it. I had NO idea how the rice was prepared and didn't think to ask.

Well we just went to Las Vegas and ate at Shibuya at the MGM and the wait staff said their sushi rice is prepared in an oil/vinegar that has gluten in it. I asked if all sushi rice was made that way and they said yes. I ordered a plain steak with steamed rice, but since I knew I had eaten it before, I also had 3 pieces of California roll sushi.

The next day I was sick. I don't know if it was gluten or massive hangover (yeah, we went to Rain at The Palms that night too). So now I'm curious about sushi...

What's your experience or knowledge of it??? THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!

[missy'smom]

Fake crab meat often contains gluten(wheat). If your roll contained this it is most likely the culprit. There is also a potential problem with cross-contamination if they cut your roll with the same knife or on the same surface that other rolls, ie. ones with tempura, without cleaning those surfaces first.

As for the sushi rice. If prepared in the traditional manner it should contain only rice vinegar, sugar and salt that is added after the plain rice is cooked. So should be gluten-free. That being said, I've heard some stories of rice prepared in ways that vary from the traditional way.

We use a Japanese seasoned rice vinegar at home that is just rice vinegar with the sugar and salt already added.

[tarnalberry]

as missy's mom noted, sushi rice is made by fanning the rice as a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and water is mixed into it, to make it sticky, and slightly sweet. it is gluten free, assuming a restaurant doesn't do something weird to it.

but ingredients IN sushi can often have wheat. imitation crab (which is more common than not in california rolls), has gluten. a few varieties of wasabi have wheat (I haven't found them, but others on here have confirmed this). some sushi is made from tempura, which may use wheat flour. and many varieties of sushi have sauces made with wheat-containing soy sauce. so, to summarize, there are many kinds of sushi you can have that are gluten free, but you have to be very careful in identifying *which* ones.

[lorka150]

Rice vinegar can have gluten, actually.

I was in the Asian mart the other day and picked up a Lee Kum Kee sauce, and they list ingredients... It said, "Rice Vinegar (contains wheat) in something... I think plum sauce. I was surprised!

[Gwen B]

lorka150, on Apr 1 2008, 08:19 PM, said:

Rice vinegar can have gluten, actually.

I was in the Asian mart the other day and picked up a Lee Kum Kee sauce, and they list ingredients... It said, "Rice Vinegar (contains wheat) in something... I think plum sauce. I was surprised!

Yes. I accidentally bought Mirin (a sweet rice vinegar and often used in dressing the seaweed and many other dishes) and when I looked again most brands of Mirin contained wheat.

[missy'smom]

Here is a link to the Lee Kum Kee products that are gluten-free.
http://usa.lkk.com/C...porate/faq.aspx

We use Marukan rice vinegar, both seasoned and plain.

[VioletBlue]

Another thing to consider is cross contamination. I ate at a restaurant the other night; steamed chicken and veggies with steamed rice. It however did not occure to me until later that night that they may have steamed other gluten items with the same equipment.

But if you had a california roll it was most likely that the fake crab had wheat in it.

amberleigh, on Apr 1 2008, 10:16 AM, said:

I've tried sushi twice at a local restaurant and not gotten sick...maybe a little gassy/bloaty but that happens a lot b/c I also have IBS so I tend to ignore it. I had NO idea how the rice was prepared and didn't think to ask.

Well we just went to Las Vegas and ate at Shibuya at the MGM and the wait staff said their sushi rice is prepared in an oil/vinegar that has gluten in it. I asked if all sushi rice was made that way and they said yes. I ordered a plain steak with steamed rice, but since I knew I had eaten it before, I also had 3 pieces of California roll sushi.

The next day I was sick. I don't know if it was gluten or massive hangover (yeah, we went to Rain at The Palms that night too). So now I'm curious about sushi...

What's your experience or knowledge of it??? THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!