25 replies to this topic

[cblack]

Hi all! I've been gluten free for 4 months and doing extremely well on the diet. My husband and I love to eat out, but I'm not sure about sushi. Can you tell me if it is safe to eat sushi?? I know the imitation crab has wheat in it, so I would need to avoid that and also bring my own gluten free soy sauce, but other than that, what do I need to know? Is the sticky rice safe? Are there other ingredients I need to look out for? Thanks!

[tarnalberry]

I avoid ANYTHING that has sauce. Stuff like eel is marinated in sauce, and the egg has soy sauce in it as well. While some folks here have noted they've seen sticky rice with gluten (in the rice vinegar? mirin? I don't know how it's getting in there), I've never seen it myself. Additionally, some folks have noted that they have gotten wasabi that has wheat in it. I've seen commercially available wasabi with wheat in it at the store, but haven't had a problem at the sushi place I go to. I'd ask, or just bring your own.

[GFinDC]

I saw a medical program recently where a woman and her husband ate some sushi in Africa. They both ended up with worms crawling around under their skin. Personally I don't understand why people think eating raw meat is ok. Of course, animals do it but they get sick from all kinds of parasites too.

[Skylark]

I saw a medical program recently where a woman and her husband ate some sushi in Africa. They both ended up with worms crawling around under their skin. Personally I don't understand why people think eating raw meat is ok. Of course, animals do it but they get sick from all kinds of parasites too.

In the US, the FDA requires fish sold for sushi to be deep-frozen to kill problematic parasites. If you are eating fish that has not been previously frozen, it is wise to be sure the sushi chef is properly trained.

As far as gluten, as you know there is gluten in the fake crab meat. Ponzo and soy sauce both contain gluten. Roe are often marinated in a mix containing soy sauce so you need to avoid them. The sauce that is used on cooked sushi like uni is a problem, as is most tempura batter in the US so you have to avoid rolls with tempura. Wasabi is an issue too. Real wasabi is fine, but cheaper sushi joints sometimes serve fake wasabi that can have flour in the paste.

Safe things are the sushi rice, seaweed, plain fish, any veggies used in the rolls, and the various sprouts and picked vegetables used to flavor sushi. I generally order simple foods like edamame, tuna rolls and pieces of nigiri and I always bring my own soy sauce.

[GFinDC]

In the US, the FDA requires fish sold for sushi to be deep-frozen to kill problematic parasites. If you are eating fish that has not been previously frozen, it is wise to be sure the sushi chef is properly trained.

Hmmm, freezing could help I guess. But it is still not getting rid of the yuck factor. Ya all can keep your sushi and those other raw meats, steak tartar etc.. (I know not all sushi is raw fish ). Rice and veggies are a-OK.

Soy almost always has gluten, unless you buy Tamari gluten-free soy sauce. But why eat soy anyway. Another yuck factor food.

[Tina B]

Hi all! I've been gluten free for 4 months and doing extremely well on the diet. My husband and I love to eat out, but I'm not sure about sushi. Can you tell me if it is safe to eat sushi?? I know the imitation crab has wheat in it, so I would need to avoid that and also bring my own gluten free soy sauce, but other than that, what do I need to know? Is the sticky rice safe? Are there other ingredients I need to look out for? Thanks!

Regular sushi is fine but you may need to bring your own wheat free soy sauce. LaChoy is wheat free.

[tarnalberry]

Hmmm, freezing could help I guess. But it is still not getting rid of the yuck factor. Ya all can keep your sushi and those other raw meats, steak tartar etc.. (I know not all sushi is raw fish ). Rice and veggies are a-OK.

Soy almost always has gluten, unless you buy Tamari gluten-free soy sauce. But why eat soy anyway. Another yuck factor food.

It, like many other things, is only a yuck factor for many folks in the US because they weren't exposed to it or were told it was yucky. There are a number of cultures that partake in food cooked differently than we do. (Ceviche anyone?)

[missceliac2010]

I love sushi! And other than the things the others mentioned, you should be able to eat it just fine. As far as "ethnic food" is concerned...I live in California. The people from Mexico eat something called "Menudo", which is cow intestines, cow stomach and other "innerds" and such. Talk about EWww! LOL. But like others have said, to each his own. I won't eat it, but I dated a guy once who loved it, and so did his 5 year old daughter!

Celebrate Diversity!

It, like many other things, is only a yuck factor for many folks in the US because they weren't exposed to it or were told it was yucky. There are a number of cultures that partake in food cooked differently than we do. (Ceviche anyone?)

[kenlove]

Much depends on the place you go to and the quality of what they use. As mentioned, wasabi can be dangerous.
Most wasabi made from powder has wheat starch. The vast majority of restaurants outside of Japan use a foodservice grade of S&B powdered wasabi which does contain gluten. The few places that have nama or fresh wasabi or tubed wasabi chances are its safe.

YOu also have to be careful of the nori or seaweed. Many of the seaweeds that came from Korea are processed in a soy sauce type a based which contains wheat.

Plain fish with or without rice with the gari (ginger) and your soy sauce is fine
good luck

Hi all! I've been gluten free for 4 months and doing extremely well on the diet. My husband and I love to eat out, but I'm not sure about sushi. Can you tell me if it is safe to eat sushi?? I know the imitation crab has wheat in it, so I would need to avoid that and also bring my own gluten free soy sauce, but other than that, what do I need to know? Is the sticky rice safe? Are there other ingredients I need to look out for? Thanks!

[Skylark]

Thanks for sharing that tip about the Nori. I didn't know it could contain soy sauce/gluten. So far I've been OK eating it but I think I'll switch to sashimi and rice.

I found that wonderful gluten-free San-J Tamari sauce in packets the other day so now I just have to remember to bring it.

[kenlove]

Never saw the san-j in packs yet -- guess they didnt make it to Hawaii. Although the company is Japanese they make this in Kentucky if I remember right. We just got another 6 or 7 gluten-free sauce they make in at my local store. The president of San-J in Japan is really a nice guy.

Most Nori is ok

If where you go the chef is Japanese and not Chinese or Korean you just make sure he/she knows that you have a ko-mugee allergee (wheat flour allergy) In some places in Japan flour is called ko-mugi but in many others and with old timers its called merikenko meaning american powder!

Ken

Thanks for sharing that tip about the Nori. I didn't know it could contain soy sauce/gluten. So far I've been OK eating it but I think I'll switch to sashimi and rice.

I found that wonderful gluten-free San-J Tamari sauce in packets the other day so now I just have to remember to bring it.

[lovegrov]

Another thread with a claim that S&B wasabi has wheat flour. Yet S&B's website lists no wheat flour in any of its wasabi. Does anybody know otherwise for certain?

http://www.sb-worldw...cts/powder.html

ALSO, does anybody know of a wasabi that DEFINITELY has gluten? Please tell us the brand.

thanks
richard

[kenlove]

I've seen it list wheat on the side of the box-- I don't have it here for obvious reasons but it has said that as recently as last May when I showed the box at the store to another celiac. S&B "Oriental" mustard and curry powder is fine. The curry mix is not.
ken

Another thread with a claim that S&B wasabi has wheat flour. Yet S&B's website lists no wheat flour in any of its wasabi. Does anybody know otherwise for certain?

http://www.sb-worldw...cts/powder.html

ALSO, does anybody know of a wasabi that DEFINITELY has gluten? Please tell us the brand.

thanks
richard

[Kntrygrl]

Hi. I am new to gluten allergies and to this forum. Thanks for your post. I love sushi and learned that the immitation crab meat had gluten but wondered why some of the sushi rolls still made me sick. I thought it was the seaweed since I had seen some gluten free seaweed wraps in a store, but since I don't know how to make my own sushi I did not buy them. Should I just stay away from the rolls in a restaurant? I like Ebi but really loves the rolls too.

[Skylark]

I have a terrible time finding rolls that don't have gluten. It's in the fake crab, tempura batter, in most of the cooked fish like eel or salmon skin, and in the sauces they tend to drizzle over them.

I order either nigiri sushi (the fish on a block of rice) or sashimi and make sure they understand that I am "allergic" to soy sauce.