Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Where Your Contribution Counts!
    eNewsletter
    Support Us!
  • Record is Archived

    This article is now archived and is closed to further replies.

    Rosie Tobin
    Rosie Tobin

    Travelling Gluten-Free in South America

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Journal of Gluten Sensitivity Summer 2016 Issue

    Celiac.com 08/04/2016 - Holidaying or backpacking in South America might seem daunting for travellers with celiac disease, but eating gluten-free is actually very manageable, providing you're organised and do plenty of research. Unfortunately there seems to be a lack of reliable information on the web about eating gluten-free in South America, which is what inspired this article. So, we will go through each country, highlighting 'safe' foods, those that are naturally gluten-free, and addressing any problems you may encounter.

    The Good News!
    In general, the South American diet contains less gluten than the typical western diet, with white rice and potatoes being the staple carbohydrates for most countries. So there will probably always be options on the menu that are naturally gluten-free. And if in doubt, you can always stick to simple dishes like grilled meat or fish, and fresh salads.

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    The Bad News…
    Celiac disease and the gluten-free diet are much less common in South America, so although products in supermarkets may be labelled 'gluten-free' most people probably don't fully understand what this means. The language barrier can cause problems when enquiring about gluten-containing ingredients and cross-contamination. So it's advisable to learn or print out some useful phrases to help you explain your dietary requirements.

    Eating Gluten-Free in Brazil

    Labelling Laws: All packaged foods must be labelled either 'contén glúten' or 'não contén glúten'. You can use these phrases in restaurants too, although the serving staff may not really understand what this means.
    Advice: English is widely spoken, especially in the major cities, so communicating your dietary requirements shouldn't be too difficult.

    Naturally Gluten-Free Brazilian Foods:

    • Tapioca/cassava flour – often used in place of wheat flour to thicken sauces. Tapioca pancakes are a popular breakfast food, and cassava fries are a popular snack, both of which are naturally gluten-free, but always check about cross-contamination.
    • 'Pão de queijo' – These cheese balls are traditionally made using tapioca flour so are naturally gluten-free, but always check because in some hotels they'll contain wheat flour as well.
    • BBQ meat – Brazil is famous for it's barbequed meats, which are not usually coated in flour.
    • Top Dish: 'Moqueca' – This fish stew is cooked in a sauce of coconut milk, palm oil, parselt, garlic, tomato puree and peppers. These are the staple ingredients of many meals in the north of Brazil, which is a particularly good area for celiac travellers to visit.

    Eating Gluten-Free in Peru

    Labelling Laws: There are no laws in Peru which require products to be labelled 'gluten-free', and most people will not have come across celiac disease.
    Advice: Lima is probably the best city to eat gluten-free, as it has some of the best restaurants in the world and very experienced, knowledgeable chefs. So use words like 'trigo' and 'cebada' to explain that you can't eat wheat and barley, and you should be understood. The main problem in Peru is fusion cuisines, like 'chifa', which are heavily influenced by Asian cooking and nearly always contain soy sauce. Wheat flour is often used to coat foods before frying in Peru, and is often used to thicken sauces, so ensure you know the basic Spanish phrases to explain your needs.

    Naturally Gluten-Free Peruvian Foods:

    • Quinoa – This is the staple grain in Peru, and you'll find soups and stews containing it everywhere.
    • 'Tamales' – Corn flour is used to make this breakfast food or snack, which is steamed in a corn husk and filled with meat or cheese.
    • 'Ceviche' – This popular dish has a very basic recipe of raw fish, citrus juices and seasoning, so it's always gluten-free.
    • Top Dish: 'Rocoto Relleno' – This is a vegetarian dish of stuffed hot peppers.

    Eating Gluten-Free in Argentina

    Labelling Laws: Argentina has a law that requires packaged foods to be labelled 'sin TACC', if they are suitable for those on a gluten-free diet.
    Advice: Many traditional dishes are naturally gluten-free, so you should find suitable meals on most restaurant menus. However the language barrier can be a problem in more rural areas. Buenos Aires is one of the best cities in South America for celiacs, as it has a few gluten-free restaurants and even a bakery.

    Naturally Gluten-Free Argentinean Foods:

    • Steak – Argentinean steaks are famous around the world, as are usually served with the dressing on the side, with salad or vegetables. Sometimes it's also served with fried potatoes or chips which you'll need to ensure are suitable.
    • 'Fainá' – This flatbread is a popular snack, made from chickpea flour. It's naturally gluten-free, but always check that wheat flour hasn't been added as well.
    • 'Asado' – Barbequed meats are also popular in Argentina, and should be naturally gluten-free.
    • Top Dish: 'Humitas' - This snack is made from seasoned corn flour, boiled in a leaf or husk, very similar to Peruvian 'tamales'.

    Eating Gluten-Free in Chile

    Labelling Laws: Supermarkets may stock foods labelled as gluten-free, but these are mostly imported from nearby countries, such as Argentina.
    Advice: Even snacks like crisps, chocolate and yoghurts may not be suitable for celiacs in Chile, so try to learn the Spanish words you'll need to make reading packaging easier. Similarly in restaurants, English may not be widely spoken and the concept of 'gluten-free' won't be fully understood.

    Naturally Gluten-Free Chilean Foods:

    • 'Milcaos' – This street food snack is naturally gluten-free, as it only contains mashed potato and raw, grated potato fried in oil. The only risk is cross-contamination from the oil.
    • 'Pastel de Choclo' – This popular dish is a stew/pie of ground beef or chicken with olives and raisins. The crust is made from pureed corn, so it's naturally gluten-free.
    • 'Paila Marina' – Seafood stews and soups like this are very popular and usually gluten-free, although bread is often served as an accompaniment.
    • Top Dish: 'Caldillo de Congrio' – It's not for everyone, but this boiled eel stew is a Chilean favourite.

    Eating Gluten-Free in Bolivia

    Labelling Laws: There are no labelling laws in Bolivia, and you may struggle to find suitable snacks in supermarkets.
    Advice: Bolivia is a tough country for celiac travellers, as English is not widely spoken and the term 'gluten-free' won't be understood by most people. You will need to learn Spanish phrases to help you get by.

    Naturally Gluten-Free Bolivian Foods:

    • 'Sonso' – This is a street food snack of yucca (similar to potato) and cheese, cooked over a BBQ.
    • 'Pique Macho' – Bolivian's like sharing dishes, and this is a particular favourite, containing beef, hot dogs and boiled eggs, served with chips. You'll need to check that the chips haven't been cross-contaminated during frying.
    • Quinoa – Similarly to Peru, quinoa is a staple grain in Bolivia, and you will find it in many soups.
    • Top Dish: 'Palta Rellena' – This starter is typically Bolivian, an avocado stuffed with chicken and shrimp. It's very simple and naturally gluten-free.

    Eating Gluten-Free in Ecuador

    Labelling Laws: Similarly to Bolivia, you probably won't see 'gluten-free' labels in supermarkets.
    Advice: Wheat doesn't feature heavily in traditional Ecuadorian cuisine, as yucca, plantain and rice and the preferred carbohydrates. But bread is served with nearly every meal, and in international restaurants wheat flour will probably be used, so opt for traditional-looking restaurants.

    Naturally Gluten-Free Ecuadorian Foods:

    • Plantain – This banana-type fruit is very popular is Ecuadorian cooking and can be served in many ways. 'Chifle' is a particularly popular plantain dish, dried and salted to taste.
    • 'Pan de Yuca' – These cheese balls are very similar to the Brazilian equivalent, and are naturally gluten-free, made from tapioca flour.
    • BBQ meat – Although barbequed meat is usually safe for celiacs, be aware that in Ecuador it is common to marinate the meat in beer before cooking.
    • Top Dish: 'Open Original Shared Link' – The national dish of the country is a fish soup with boiled yucca and red onions.


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Guest Stephanie

    Posted

    I buy ziplock streamer bags .I make sure I get a microwave  and a mini fridge  I cook steak Chicken  almost any thing in these bag I bake potatoes  and frozen  vegs

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Guest
    This is now closed for further comments

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Rosie Tobin

    Rosie was diagnosed as having celiac disease in 2015 and is an avid traveller, who tries not to let her dietary requirements prevent her from seeing the world. She works for tailor-made travel company RealWorld Holidays, and specialises in South America trips. Her diagnosis has led her to gather reliable information for fellow celiac travellers.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Related Articles

    Daniel Moran
    Celiac.com 05/08/2008 - I am here to help you with your needs as you travel, and to be able to keep the "Gluten Monster" away, so you can enjoy your trip.
    When getting ready to fly you have to expect long delays.  As a celiac that means you have to try to find food.  If you haven’t traveled by plane before you will be in for a big surprise.  The restaurants that are in the airports are always busy.  This means that it is like going to a restaurant at peak time, and, in my opinion, that is not the best time for celiacs to eat in restaurants.  You might want to try the fast food places that are chains if they are in the airport.  The usual method is to try to get the manager to help you.  Give the manager a fresh plastic fork to retrieve your meat or chicken so they don’t use gloves tha...


    Daniel Moran
    Celiac.com 05/16/2008 - Knowing the Kitchen on Your Travels
    As you travel there is no way around it—you need to eat at a restaurant.  If you are like me, you probably don’t look forward towards eating out.  I have been trained by some of the finest chefs in the world and there wasn’t enough training to prepare me for eating out gluten-free.  Don’t get me wrong, if I was not celiac I could take the menus apart and know everything necessary to impress my wife and order the right food and wine.  Yes I even was involved in wine tasting in Palm Beach Florida.
    That was then and this is now.  Walking into the restaurant, sadly, the first thing I do is ask for the manager and whether or not they have a gluten free menu.  I have been told over and over about restaurants that have a gluten...


    April Baxter
    This article originally appeared in the Summer 2010 edition of Celiac.com's Open Original Shared Link.
    Celiac.com 07/17/2010 - My husband and I recently returned from a trip to the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.  What a wonderful experience! The resort itself was beautiful but the people working there made the vacation special. Prior to our arrival, I contacted the General Manager, Jeremy Mutton, advising him of my dietary requirements. He promptly responded that I would be taken care of without any problems and had informed the appropriate staff.
    Upon our arrival, I was greeted by the Executive Sous Chef, Seanette Brice, and the Food/Beverage Manager, Sieon Wintz, who catered to all my dietary needs. I was so impressed by their knowledge of celiac disease ...


    Destiny Stone
    This is the time of year when familiestake vacations and travel the world. Traveling can often be stressfuleven under normal circumstances; packing problems, flight delays,getting lost, are all possible when trying to get from point A topoint B. So imagine how stressful it can be for a celiac orgluten-sensitive person to get ready for a big trip, especially to alocation that doesn't cater to the gluten-free lifestyle.The following tips are geared towardhelping even the most sensitive celiac to have a fun filled andgluten-free vacation while minimizing the stress factor as much aspossible. This article covers the following: preparing for yourgluten-free travel adventure, gluten-free travel by plane,automobile, train or ship, gluten-free accommodations, gluten-freemeals and snacks, what to...


    Yvonne Vissing Ph.D.
    Celiac.com 01/05/2018 - Cuba is abundant with music, color, and people. The countryside is a lush, rich green where fields of sugar cane stretch as far as the eye can see. Streets of Havana are filled with hot pink, lemon yellow, candy-apple red, bright blue and green classic cars. Rural streets have horse drawn carts overflowing with harvested sugar cane and the men (almost always men) with machetes from cutting the crops. It is a country of contradictions, where pillars of ancient affluence intersect with rubble as people yack on cell-phones while throwing their fishing lines off the Malecon.
    As a multiple-time tourist there, I'm overwhelmed with how friendly people are and how safe I feel, even though my ability to speak Spanish is, well, not-so-good. Given that wifi and internet...


  • Recent Activity

    1. - Scott Adams replied to Braver101's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      2

      Constant sweating with celiac disease

    2. - Scott Adams replied to Julie Riordan's topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      2

      Any ideas for travelling

    3. - trents replied to Julie Riordan's topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      2

      Any ideas for travelling

    4. - trents replied to Braver101's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      2

      Constant sweating with celiac disease

    5. - Julie Riordan posted a topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      2

      Any ideas for travelling


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,489
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Ronnieb8675
    Newest Member
    Ronnieb8675
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • JustGemi
    • Linedancegal
    • Hannah24
      9
    • jessiemariecar
    • Rhonda H
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...