Help Needed: Gluten-Free In Africa

[Ruthie13]

Hi Everyone, this is my first post here. I'm from Australia but am currently volunteering in Tanzania for a year. I was diagnosed about a year ago with coeliac disease and have been struggling to adjust to gluten-free living here. It was easy when I was back home because you could rely on labelling and there was an abundance of choice of gluten-free foods in the supermarkets but here I

[kenlove]

Can't help that much but will advise that Cassava flour can cause upset stomachs and give similar symptoms to being glutened. There are components in the root that don't agree with all people. If that's not the problem your lucky since its a wonderful product to work with. I would look for corn bread recipes or dosa recipes based on the list. Guess since I was diagnosed about 5 years ago I gave up on all "regular" breads.

I"ll write my high school friend from Chicago who's been living there since the 70s if she knows of anything.

Good luck

Ken

Hi Everyone, this is my first post here. I'm from Australia but am currently volunteering in Tanzania for a year. I was diagnosed about a year ago with coeliac disease and have been struggling to adjust to gluten-free living here. It was easy when I was back home because you could rely on labelling and there was an abundance of choice of gluten-free foods in the supermarkets but here I'm not so lucky. I've been having to do a lot of baking and it's been difficult tracking down ingredients. What I would really like is advice on a 'tried and tested' gluten-free bread recipe (baked in an oven not bread machine) which includes the following flours that I have managed to find here.

- White rice flour

- Corn flour

- Maize flour

- Cassava flour

- Millet flour

Any help would be appreciated (the bread I'm making at the moment is truely uninspiring!) or any other tips for living gluten-free in Africa would be good. On a whole I'm managing well, but after recent stomach upsets I've decided to cut out all meals that I haven't prepared myself...no more dinners out or cooked lunches and no more using things from the supermarket that I can't rely on the labels... although I've heard that South African labelling laws are pretty strict...can I rely on these products??

thanks in advance!

[Ruthie13]

thanks so much for the response ken. I didn't know that about cassava flour I might look to cut it out and see if there is a difference.

I'm only just approaching my one year of being gluten free so still feel like I'm learning alot and still have a lot to learn.

My other challenge living here is not only the lack of products available but also the fact that I'm living communally and when ever I enter the kitchen it seems to be gluten-ized!

Although at least I have some control while I'm "at home" here but last week we went away for a break and I found it really difficult to eat safely.

Anyone have any tips for ordering gluten-free meals in countries that don't get the concept of gluten-free food??

or tips on travelling gluten-free when you don't have the ability to cook your own or carry your own food??

thanks again Ken

[Jestgar]

When I travel I eat a lot of raw fruits and veggies. I've also bought a little hot pot in whatever country I'm in and cooked things in it.

I don't know about Africa, but most European countries have English on a lot of the chips and snacks so I can read the ingredients and choose what to buy. On things that I can't read, but are unlikely to have anything bad (like pickled things) I've just eaten it.

I tend to avoid eating out, but I did that before gluten-free because of the cost, so it wasn't a change.

[kenlove]

Jestgar had some good tips about eating pickled things which are usually ok --I've not traveled in Africa but darn near everywhere else and not had much problem. Raw food diets are not for everyone and I cant follow it all the time but when traveling, i know fresh fruit and veggies are safe, so with a little vinegar, spices and olive oil or something I can usually get something I like.

The cross contamination in a communal environment must be a problem though.

guess this gives you the excuse to learn a few phases in a bunch of unusual dialects --

good luck

thanks so much for the response ken. I didn't know that about cassava flour I might look to cut it out and see if there is a difference.

I'm only just approaching my one year of being gluten free so still feel like I'm learning alot and still have a lot to learn.

My other challenge living here is not only the lack of products available but also the fact that I'm living communally and when ever I enter the kitchen it seems to be gluten-ized!

Although at least I have some control while I'm "at home" here but last week we went away for a break and I found it really difficult to eat safely.

Anyone have any tips for ordering gluten-free meals in countries that don't get the concept of gluten-free food??

or tips on travelling gluten-free when you don't have the ability to cook your own or carry your own food??

thanks again Ken

[Japsnoet]

Jestgar had some good tips about eating pickled things which are usually ok --I've not traveled in Africa but darn near everywhere else and not had much problem. Raw food diets are not for everyone and I cant follow it all the time but when traveling, i know fresh fruit and veggies are safe, so with a little vinegar, spices and olive oil or something I can usually get something I like.

The cross contamination in a communal environment must be a problem though.

guess this gives you the excuse to learn a few phases in a bunch of unusual dialects --

good luck

Have you tried any of the IWISA brands like the Samp and the Cornmeal? The samp is white corn kernels.

You can follow up with Premier Foods in South Africa re their IWISA brand and ask them to confirm if it is gluten free.

See details below in South Africa. They distribute across Africa

Premier Foods Head Office:

Telephone: (011) 565 4300

Physical Address:

1 Joist Street, Isando, 1609 24 HR Consumer Services Team

Telephone: 0860 122 300

Social Responsibility:

social@premierfoods.com

If you prefer to contact us via e-mail, please forward all company related queries to:

secretary@premierfoods.com

Please forward any website related queries and/or suggestions to:

webmaster@premierfoods.com

You can also try sorghum porridge the Maltabella by Bokomo I emailed them a couple of years ago and they confirmed via email that it is gluten free. It is another South African product and I know it is available across most of Africa. I buy it from the South African Deli in Oz.

There is a corn flour/ mielieblom by the name of Maizena by Bokomo email them and ask them to confirm if it is gluten free. Open Original Shared Link

If you google some of traditional South African Cornbread recipes you will find that many of them are naturally gluten free.

You can also try and get hold of Biltong & Droewors it is usually gluten free you need to always confirm ingredients. I buy it in Oz from the Stanley street butcher and really enjoy it. Def of Biltong Open Original Shared Link Def of Droewors Open Original Shared Link