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Gluten-free In Shanghai?

Fiona

By Fiona
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Fiona Newbie
Fiona
Posted

Hi all,

I am travelling to Shanghai for business in a few weeks and concerned about getting inadvertently hit with gluten, as I know many soy and other asian sauces contain wheat starch. Also I understand the food there is very different (and tastier) than what we get here. Has anyone else travelled to Asia that might provide useful tips or strategies? There's a French restaurant in my hotel apparently and I'm more familiar with the potential pitfalls of that cuisine than with Asian fare- but I'd like to be able to venture out of that safety-net and have an authentic experience-- without getting 'shanghai'd' (pardon the pun..). ;)

Thanks!

Fiona

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mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted
Hi all,

I am travelling to Shanghai for business in a few weeks and concerned about getting inadvertently hit with gluten, as I know many soy and other asian sauces contain wheat starch. Also I understand the food there is very different (and tastier) than what we get here. Has anyone else travelled to Asia that might provide useful tips or strategies? There's a French restaurant in my hotel apparently and I'm more familiar with the potential pitfalls of that cuisine than with Asian fare- but I'd like to be able to venture out of that safety-net and have an authentic experience-- without getting 'shanghai'd' (pardon the pun..). ;)

Thanks!

Fiona

Hi I live in China but not Shanghai. I am also going there in early June for business. Not sure what to expect, here is a website for bread in SH:

Open Original Shared Link

Here's a hand-written explanation in Chinese, and somewhere there is a typed one you can print out online. Open Original Shared Link

I am not totally satisfied with these and will eventually do my own (I read Chinese), so if you send me a message here in about 3 weeks I might be able to send you another one.

I haven't tackled the restaurant thing yet, but steamed things that don't need soy sauce might be an option plus rice. A dish like shrimp and cashews doesn't use soy sauce, but may have MSG. If you have to worry about cross contamination, that still wouldn't be a great option.

You might write to the hotel, if it is a top hotel they might be able to arrange meals for you.

That's it for now.

Sherry

MaryJones2 Enthusiast
MaryJones2
Posted
Hi all,

I am travelling to Shanghai for business in a few weeks and concerned about getting inadvertently hit with gluten, as I know many soy and other asian sauces contain wheat starch. Also I understand the food there is very different (and tastier) than what we get here. Has anyone else travelled to Asia that might provide useful tips or strategies? There's a French restaurant in my hotel apparently and I'm more familiar with the potential pitfalls of that cuisine than with Asian fare- but I'd like to be able to venture out of that safety-net and have an authentic experience-- without getting 'shanghai'd' (pardon the pun..). ;)

Thanks!

Fiona

Hi Fiona,

I spent a month in Taiwan last summer. The Taiwanese have a lot of pride and take their jobs very seriously so I had a lot more confidence that the wait staff would take my requests seriously and comply. I would not expect mainland China to be any different. If your Chinese is very bad so I would recommend a written card in a couple of dialects - Mandarin is the standard and I believe there is a dialect called Wu that is common around Shanghai. I packed a lot of my own food so that I could guarantee at least one good meal a day. I ate a lot of sashimi, sushi, steamed vegetables, fruit and white rice and didn't have a problem. I would recommend familiarizing yourself with a few traditional dishes and finding out how to order them gluten-free before you go. I think it's easier to order gluten-free at small restaurants than at hotels but English is more common at the hotels.

Hope this helps.

Janet

Fiona Newbie
Fiona
Posted
  • Author

Thanks to both of you for your great tips! This is the first I'm travelling there, so am not familiar with the language at all- will have to do some homework before I go! Packing my own food is a good idea as well- just hope I have room for my clothes! ;)

Thanks again..

MaryJones2 Enthusiast
MaryJones2
Posted
Thanks to both of you for your great tips! This is the first I'm travelling there, so am not familiar with the language at all- will have to do some homework before I go! Packing my own food is a good idea as well- just hope I have room for my clothes! ;)

Thanks again..

I was a road warrior for seven years and never checked a bag until I was diagnosed. Now I have a seperate suitcase for food and cooking supplies. If I'm going to a place where I know it may be difficult to find food I pack an electric wok, a plastic lettuce knife and cutting board. I pack my gluten free food like pasta, crackers, salad dressing and hit the local grocery store for vegetables and meat. You can cook just about anything in a wok. It took a little practice but I can even cook pasta. Lugging an extra suitcase with this stuff in it is a pain but it beats the pain of being sick on the road.

I also make food for the plane. Some of the airlines don't have gluten free meals. I also don't do dairy, soy or meat so the gluten free meals don't help. The TSA guidlines state that if you have a medical condition an have to carry additional liquid that you are not limited to the 3 oz restriction. I carry a note from my Dr. but haven't ever had an issue. If you stick to drier stuff it'll go through without declaring. I usually make something like rice and vegetables so I get a complete meal in one small container. The flight attendants will heat it up for you if you get them when they aren't busy.

Have a great trip and let us know how it goes!

J

Fiona Newbie
Fiona
Posted
  • Author

Wow- well if you travel a lot you do really need to be prepared! And I'm sorry to hear you suffer from more than just the gluten intolerance. Makes it even more difficult, to be sure. I will take your advice and definitely pack some options. I may even bring my own wheat-free tamari sauce so that when i do go to a restaurant, I can order everything steamed and just add my own flavoring.. Will look ridiculous but what can you do?

Thanks for the great advice. I will definitely check back and let you know how I fared!

Fiona

mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted

Hi, Fiona. Electric in China is 220, so you'd have to have a way to convert if you brought something to cook on. You can buy hot plates locally, they are electromagnetic or some such. Usually come with a pan or two. Cost about $25 US on the bottom end.

I hadn't thought about traveling with cooking items, Janet, thanks for the suggestion!

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