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China Vacation

swnorris

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swnorris Newbie
swnorris
Posted

Has anyone traveled to China and dealt with attempting to ensure the food is gluten free. I'm considering a trip, but my 15 year old son has celiac and would be traveling with me.

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mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted

Hi,

Do a search in the International section of the forum and you'll see some posts.

I live here in China, but haven't been gluten-free long enough to tell you much about eating out. I don't, basically.

Gluten it is in all soy sauce, many of the prepared sauces. MSG is also in most things and is wheat based although I have read that it doesn't contain the gliadin protein. Restaurants won't understand the need to be strict as it is pretty much unknown here except perhaps a few doctors.

I had to eat out twice while away on business this week and have been ill. So not a good recommendation.

swnorris Newbie
swnorris
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for your help. Maybe I'll plan a different vacation with that in mind. But I'll do a search for other info.

Hi,

Do a search in the International section of the forum and you'll see some posts.

I live here in China, but haven't been gluten-free long enough to tell you much about eating out. I don't, basically.

Gluten it is in all soy sauce, many of the prepared sauces. MSG is also in most things and is wheat based although I have read that it doesn't contain the gliadin protein. Restaurants won't understand the need to be strict as it is pretty much unknown here except perhaps a few doctors.

I had to eat out twice while away on business this week and have been ill. So not a good recommendation.

  • 1 month later...
rajawali Newbie
rajawali
Posted
Has anyone traveled to China and dealt with attempting to ensure the food is gluten free. I'm considering a trip, but my 15 year old son has celiac and would be traveling with me.

----------------------------------------

I hope to see more reponses for your concern, as I am also planning to visit China next year. I have a lot of friends, including my sister and her family, tell me how great their trip was.

Language will defintely be a barrier. Perhaps you can contact a travel agent that specializes in China trips.

I have tried the Chinese BBQ pork and roast pork, eaten with rice, with no ill effects. I have also tried gluten-free tofu with no bad reaction. I have eaten at Chinese buffets will no ill effects. You need to carefully select the food that did not look like soya sauce was used. Avoid all their breaded stuff like in breaded shrimp. Also avoid deep fried stuff (e.g. chicken) as the oil may have been used to fry their egg rolls. Caution, some Chinese buffets may not be the same as others.

In a Chinese restaurant in downtown Toronto, Canada, we had very delicious Chinese fried Lobster and had no ill effects, because they used corn starch instead of wheat.

Good luck,

Rajawali

  • 2 months later...
Akaruihi Newbie
Akaruihi
Posted

Hello,

I've been living in China for 6 years but just found out I am celiac.

Basically, every time I go out I become ill so I find myself eating at home all the time and eating rice or meat when I go out.

VERY DIFFICULT to read labels. Incomplete...and when you ask, "does this has wheat" they answer no just sell their product.

If anybody knows of any delivery store in Japan or Philipines that can deliver here it would be great!

Ana

----------------------------------------

I hope to see more reponses for your concern, as I am also planning to visit China next year. I have a lot of friends, including my sister and her family, tell me how great their trip was.

Language will defintely be a barrier. Perhaps you can contact a travel agent that specializes in China trips.

I have tried the Chinese BBQ pork and roast pork, eaten with rice, with no ill effects. I have also tried gluten-free tofu with no bad reaction. I have eaten at Chinese buffets will no ill effects. You need to carefully select the food that did not look like soya sauce was used. Avoid all their breaded stuff like in breaded shrimp. Also avoid deep fried stuff (e.g. chicken) as the oil may have been used to fry their egg rolls. Caution, some Chinese buffets may not be the same as others.

In a Chinese restaurant in downtown Toronto, Canada, we had very delicious Chinese fried Lobster and had no ill effects, because they used corn starch instead of wheat.

Good luck,

Rajawali

missy'smom Collaborator
missy'smom
Posted

I don't know how helpful this will be but,

Here is a link to a thread on which I posted a link to a website of a company in Japan that specializes in products free of allergens. They even clearly label barley. I don't know if they ship to China.

Open Original Shared Link

Here is a link to the Foreign Buyers Club in Japan. They also have alot of gluten-free stuff. Again I don't know if they ship to China but maybe thay can be part of the chain that eventually connects you to the right one for you. In my experience, many missionaries and missions organizations in country are aware of resources like the Foreign Buyers Club.

Open Original Shared Link

mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted

I am in a similar situation. Living in China about the same length of time, and celiac diagnosis (probable) last April.

Eating out is a real problem. MSG is wheat based here, all soy sauce contains wheat. I have eaten out in a western restaurant, baked potato and plain salad (ask if they will make mine separate with no contact with wheat). I have another problem, I can't eat soy, so oil is a real problem as well when eating out.

I basically only eat rice if I go out, drink sprite, and eat fruit (can be iffy if they have cut it up in the kitchen). I travel a lot, and bring my own food,

I am in Liaoning province, where are you located? I have found a few gluten-free items in BJ in the organic food market, and a local organic store in my own town ordered wheat free soy sauce for me. They told me they'd order anything else I wanted, but I haven't needed anything.

I also found xanthan gum locally, but I prefer the taste of what I got from an organic store in HK, and I feel better with guar gum, which I had brought from the USA.

Alternative flours: sweet potato flour, potato flour, cornstarch are all common. I bought a grinder like they use in the Chinese medicine shops (about 250 rmb), and grind my own sorghum flour. I found a source in my city to buy organic rice flour (it is an excellent quality) but I have to buy in large amounts. It is made for export.

You'll see some other posts about this in the international section of this forum.

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