Assessing what can be eaten under strict guidelines can be very challenging, especially when travelling. I like to break down food categories based on ethnic groups. Indian and Ethiopian food (my favourites) tend to rank high in gluten and vegetarian friendliness. Daals and chickpeas are high in protein and contain a good amount of fiber that aid in digestion. Curries are also a wonderful way to stimulate the salivary glands while spicing up your palette.
Gluten Friendly Factor- Base it on the Noodle!
The next category includes Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese food. Vietnamese ranks higher than Japanese and Chinese because the noodles used for dishes like Pho are rice derived. Even though the Chinese also use rice noodles, variables such as soy sauce, MSG, and wheat from other dishes can contribute to cross contamination. Additionally, although the Japanese have engineered noodle types such as Soba (buckwheat), it is commonly assimilated with wheat flour. Korean food ranks equal to Vietnamese in my books since the emphasis on using wheat or gluten containing ingredients is low. In fact, I give Korea an extra star for coming up with something very unique and creative through the use of sweet potato flour for what I consider to be one of my favourite noodle dishes - Jap-Chae.
(Jap-Chae or pronounced Chap-Chae)
Soy Sauce - Gluten Free or Not?
I've been under the assumption that Soy Sauce is a big nono since it contains wheat. But there seems to be a contradicting study that I stumbled upon on Google.
In general, Soy Sauce is created through fermentation, but can also be made through chemical hydrolysis.
A study was done on two different soy sauces (that contained wheat) for gluten composition. It was found that the amount of gluten after the fermentation process was lower than the amount used to label a product as gluten containing. In Europe, anything under 20ppm, can be considered gluten free. Interestingly enough, the study found that there was less than 5 ppm of gluten in the soy sauce used for testing.
What is the West without Wheat?
The final category includes all the americanized foods that I generally can't eat.
One of the most fundamental ingredients in Western food is wheat. Wheat flour is used to make pasta, breads, desserts, and almost everything else in the world - atleast that's how it seems. You just can't replicate the same texture of a hot dog bun with rice flour. It just doesn't work!
My less than perfect picture includes the breakfast combo without the toast. The hamburger without the bun. The poutine without the........ gravy?! (FML moment)
Well the good thing is that gluten awareness is growing in the Western world and restaurants are beginning to use this to their advantage. I managed to find a select few restaurants in Vegas that I'm willing to try out.
The Plan
Vegas is full of buffets and I'm sure I can find some creative ways to be safe and satisfied.
Most of the dishes I end up eating will likely be more Eastern themed since the probability of me getting glutenated has a much lower chance of occurring.
I look forward to sharing my experiences in Vegas!
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