Eating is the utmost important part of life.
—Confucius
Chapter 5
Since gluten is present in some areas of Chinese cuisine, we have outlined eight items in our sample menu. There are seven primary points that you need to consider when dining at a Chinese restaurant. To ensure a gluten-free experience, the areas of food preparation that you need to inquire about with your server or chef are listed below.
Soy Sauce
From a gluten perspective, your choices will be extremely limited in traditional Chinese restaurants for a number of reasons, due mostly to the abundant use of soy sauce.
Soy sauce is used in most Chinese dishes and is present in almost every Chinese sauce such as hoi sin, duck sauce and Chinese style barbecue sauce. Soy sauce is made from soybeans, which are considered one of the “seven necessities” of life in China, along with oil, rice, salt, tea, vinegar and firewood. The majority of all soy sauces produced contain wheat. Gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos are featured at some restaurants. However, the demand for these products has not necessitated their production and distribution on a global basis as of yet.
Flour Dusting
Flour dusting is common in Chinese cuisine. Most restaurants prefer to dust using corn or potato starch—rather than wheat flour—to texture meats or fish before frying, thereby allowing a sauce to be evenly distributed.
Stocks and Broths
Stocks and broths are used frequently in Chinese cuisines and are present in sauces and soups. Ensure all are made fresh or from gluten / wheat free mixes and not from bouillon, which may contain gluten.
Cooking Oil
Canola oil is typically used in Chinese restaurants; however, other oils such as corn, peanut, sesame or vegetable may be used from time to time. Oil is used to fry or sauté foods. When ordering food that is prepared by frying, ensure that there is a dedicated fryer in the kitchen for non-battered menu items. Since battered foods may contain wheat flour, this practice minimizes the potential of gluten cross-contamination from frying.
Noodles and Dumplings
Wheat flour is used for most dumpling skins, pancakes and noodles, and precludes the majority of Fan dishes for those with celiac / coeliac, wheat allergies or gluten sensitivities. Although rice flour based noodles and dumpling skins are used in Southern Chinese cuisine and Asian fusion restaurants, soy sauce is present in most of these dishes.
Battering
Battering of meats is common in Chinese cuisine and in some geographic regions, such as the United States, it is especially prevalent. Wheat flour is typically used for batter in Chinese restaurants. Request that your order is cooked plain or steamed.
Cross-Contamination
Cross-contamination occurs in two primary instances and should be considered at any restaurant you choose to dine in. One may occur when your meal is prepared in the same frying oil as foods containing gluten or wheat. The second may occur when food particles are transferred from one food to another by using the same knife, cutting board, pots, pans or other utensils without washing the surfaces or tools in between uses. In the case of open flamed grills, the extreme temperature turns most food particles into carbon. Use of a wire brush designed for grill racks typically removes residual contaminants.
To avoid cross-contamination, restaurants need to dedicate fryers for specific foods and wash all materials that may come in contact with food in hot, soapy water prior to preparing items for those with special dietary requirements. It is important to ensure that the restaurant follows these procedures for a gluten / wheat free dining experience.
If you have food allergies or sensitivities, it is important to remain diligent in your approach to dining out. Because Chinese cuisine utilizes a multitude of food products, there are many common food allergens used on a regular basis.
As previously noted, canola oil is typically used in Chinese restaurants; however, corn, peanut and vegetable oil (which may contain corn, peanuts or soy) can also be used. If used, bouillon may contain Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) that can be derived from corn, soy or wheat. We have indicated the potential presence of bouillon and oils.
For each item listed in the sample menu, we have identified where gluten and wheat are typically included in the dish as an ingredient. We have also indicated where gluten and wheat may be present based upon non-traditional culinary practices. The chances of encountering these in our sample menu are outlined below.
High Likelihood Gluten and wheat
The vegetables consumed are based upon what is available from region to region and include amaranth, cabbage, carrots, different types of green beans, numerous mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, radishes and turnips. Many spices are incorporated into Chinese cooking, such as cinnamon, ginger, garlic, malva, mint and red pepper. Curry powder also plays an important role in southern Chinese cooking. Soy sauce is the main ingredient used to season dishes, most of which contain wheat.
As far as protein is concerned, the Chinese eat almost everything including: beef, chicken, duck, goose, mutton, pheasant, pork, seafood and venison. Another popular source of protein is tofu, which is derived from soybeans. It is worth mentioning that there are a number of other animal proteins consumed in Asia, such as dog, which you can find in markets and restaurants in China. Luckily, these items are conspicuously missing from restaurant menus in the Western world.
Common forms of starch eaten include buckwheat, maize, millet, kao-liang (sorghum), potato, rice, sweet potato and wheat (in breads, dumpling skins and pancakes). The Northern region is cold and not conducive to the cultivation of rice, so breads and pancakes serve as the starch portion of meals there. In the South, rice is abundant and is eaten as either a whole grain or in rice flour that can be used for dumpling dough and noodles.
Tea is the national drink of China and in almost every Chinese dialect is called cha. Tea has also played a vital role in Chinese history as it is considered a national treasure, and has even been used as a state currency. There are more than a thousand varieties of tea, with the three main types being oolong, green and black, known as red tea in China.
Tea is to the Chinese what wine is to the French. Most people drink it as part of their daily routine, preserving a nationalistic sense of decorum as part of the Chinese culture.
Menus in Chinese restaurants tend to be presented in the language of the country you are dining in. This is due to the fact that most diners can neither read the Chinese alphabet, nor understand the spoken language.
The names of many dishes serve as a description of the menu item itself, such as lemon chicken. Although, the recipes of these dishes may vary from restaurant to restaurant, the preparation styles remain relatively consistent. There are many dishes that are ubiquitous and can be found in virtually every Chinese restaurant; however, most of these dishes contain soy sauce.
Chopsticks and Chinese-style soup spoons are the only necessary tools needed to enjoy a Chinese meal. Additionally, most Chinese restaurants have adapted Western style cutlery for their guests who prefer to use knives and forks. Whatever utensils you decide to use, they are inconsequential to your enjoyment of Chinese cuisine.
As is the case with most Asian cuisines, Chinese food is designed to be enjoyed family style. Finding a balance between many dishes and sharing them with your table is a very important part of Chinese culture. This grew out of the Chinese idea of incorporating the ying and yang in every facet of daily life.
Fan (starch) and Tsai (meat and vegetable) dishes must be balanced in every meal and the five flavors of bitter, sour, hot, salty and sweet should also be evenly distributed. This creates harmony at the dinner table and is believed to fortify the body and the soul.
