6 Gluten-Free Asian Recipes You MUST TRY - Tiffy Cooks (2024)

FAQs

Which Chinese dishes are gluten-free? ›

It depends. Traditional hoisin sauce recipes are gluten-free, but today most commercially available hoisin sauces are made with wheat, either to thicken the sauce or in added soy sauce. If you have celiac disease, only eat hoisin sauce labeled gluten-free.

Dumplings (especially Chinese ones) are usually wrapped in a wheat dough. If you are gluten-free, be cautious; the dough used for making crystal shrimp dumplings (har gow) contains wheat starch in addition to tapioca flour. The batter used to make rice noodle rolls (cheong fun) sometimes contain wheat starch too.

Yes, usually Chinese fried rice has gluten in it. The gluten is found in soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce. What is this? Traditional soy sauce is naturally gluten free since it is made from fermented soy.

Hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and wheat noodles all contain gluten and should be avoided. Noodles used in takeways such as egg noodles or ramen noodles contain wheat and are unsafe for coeliacs. Rice noodles are a safe alternative! Seitan is often used to make mock meat dishes, and it is not gluten free.

Even Asian or sticky rice, also called “glutinous rice,” is gluten-free, despite its name. In this case, the “glutinous” term refers to the sticky nature of the rice and not the gluten protein found in wheat, barley and rye.

Condiments such as soy sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, and gravy are often made with gluten containing ingredients, such as wheat, wheat starch or malt flavoring. Be sure to double check ingredients on condiments and sauces or look for gluten free varieties.

Most soy sauces contain gluten

The sauce is typically made by combining soy and crushed wheat and allowing the two to ferment for several days in a salty brine containing mold cultures (2). Therefore, most soy sauces contain gluten from the wheat. However, one variety called tamari is often naturally gluten-free.

While the rice noodles and meat in pho are naturally gluten-free, the soup can come into contact with gluten during its preparation. For example, if the soup is cooked in a pot that was previously used to make a wheat-based soup, traces of gluten can be left behind and transferred to the pho.

Does kimchi sauce have gluten? ›

Does Kimchi Contain Gluten? As already mentioned, kimchi is generally gluten-free; however, this largely depends on the ingredients used in preparing it. Thus, your store-bought or homemade kimchi can have gluten in it.

Avoid all products with barley, rye, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye), farina, graham flour, semolina, and any other kind of flour, including self-rising and durum, not labeled gluten-free. Be careful of corn and rice products.

Celiac disease is an illness caused by an immune reaction to eating gluten. Gluten is a protein found in foods containing wheat, barley or rye. If you have celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune response to the gluten protein in your small intestine.

For people with coeliac disease, even small amounts of gluten can damage the lining of the small intestine (bowel), which prevents the proper absorption of food nutrients. Inflammation also occurs elsewhere in the body. If you have coeliac disease, inflammation and damage can occur even if you have no symptoms.

While not all Chinese food is gluten-free, many dishes are safe to eat. Some popular gluten-free Chinese dishes include rice noodles, steamed vegetables, and stir-fried chicken or shrimp. Always ask your server about ingredients and preparation methods to avoid cross-contamination.

Chow Mein is traditionally made with wheat noodles, so if you are out a restaurant it is extremely likely that chow mein would NOT be gluten-free. However, if you're making chow mein at home there is at least one brand of gluten-free chow mein noodles available.

So what's Luoto's advice for those travelling through China on a gluten-free diet? “Unfortunately, it's often best stick to plain rice, veggies, meat and fish. And if soy sauce is a concern, bring your own gluten-free soy sauce.”

Rice Noodles

Yes, most rice noodles are gluten-free because they contain rice flour and water, although as always, please check the ingredients, just in case. You will find it in most supermarkets as they are traditional in Asian recipes.