Dietary restrictions can make it hard to order takeout, decide on which restaurant to go to, or even plan meals for the week. If you have celiac disease or are sensitive to gluten, you may be wondering if Chinese food is safe to eat.
Some Chinese food contains gluten but not all. Rice and rice noodles, which are two of the most commonly used ingredients in Asian cooking, do not contain gluten. Avoid other types of noodles, egg rolls, dumplings, breaded ingredients, and dark sauces, such as soy sauce, as they may contain gluten. There are gluten-free versions of popular Chinese dishes.
Never assume that all Chinese foods are gluten-free or vice versa. Soy sauce, a building block of flavor in Chinese cuisine, is as prevalent as butter in French cuisine.
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is a collective name given to proteins found within wheat, rye, barley, and triticale. Gluten works as a binding agent which holds foods together or gives them shape. While it’s a naturally occurring protein, it can be extracted and added to foods that don’t contain gluten.
Sometimes gluten can be found in ingredients that don’t actually contain gluten. This is because ingredients containing gluten may have been processed in proximity to other gluten-free ingredients.
How Can You Tell If Something Contains Gluten?
Gluten affects everyone differently, so it is important to consider the intensity of the gluten intolerance, the ingredients, and any possible cross-contamination during preparation. We’ve laid out a roadmap below for navigating a gluten-free diet when eating Chinese food.
When Food Contains Gluten as a Raw Ingredient
On the surface level, it is not always easy to determine if a food contains gluten. The word “gluten” derives from the Latin word for “glue” which has its roots in gel-, the Indo-European root meaning “to make a coagulated lump, to be thick or sticky.”
Gluten is made up of wheat proteins that can change their shape when exposed to water. The amino acids in gluten are elastic and bond easily together.
This is why wheat flour, which contains gluten, creates dough when exposed to water and pressure from kneading. However, all-purpose flour is not the only ingredient that contains gluten.
Soy sauce, for example, is made from fermented wheat as well as fermented soybeans. Below is a table of common foods found in Chinese cuisine and whether or not they are safe for people who have trouble eating gluten.
| Food | Contains Gluten? | Safe for Celiac Disease? | Safe for gluten intolerance? | Safe for wheat allergy? | Safe for IBS? (Low FODMAP Diet) |
| Tamari | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unknown |
| Sriracha | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Only 1 tsp |
| Soy sauce | Yes | No | No | No | Only 2 TBSP |
| Fish sauce | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Duck sauce | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Oyster sauce | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Hoisin sauce | Yes | No | No | No | Unknown |
| Side of brown rice | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Side of white rice | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fried rice | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Rice noodles | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Glass noodles | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Egg Noodles | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Egg rolls | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Dumplings | Yes | No | No | No | No |
This is not a comprehensive list, but it provides a starting point when trying to demystify whether or not Chinese food may contain gluten. People with celiac disease have the most serious reaction to gluten and should be aware of how their food is prepared behind the scenes.
When Food Contains Gluten By Mistake
Unfortunately, traces of gluten may be present in foods from unintentional contamination, even if the food didn’t originally contain gluten. There are two types of contamination: cross-contamination and cross-connection.
Cross-contamination can occur when the cook has gluten on their hands and touches a ready-to-eat product. Good hand-washing can prevent cross-contamination.
Cross-connection can occur when a cook uses the same utensils or equipment for gluten products as they do for non-gluten products. This can include tongs, fryer baskets, and holding trays.
To avoid cross-connection, some Chinese restaurants have designated woks for gluten-free dishes that are never used for cooking menu items that contain gluten.
Read more: Do Deep Fryers Kill Gluten?
How Do I Know if I Need to Avoid Gluten?
When someone has celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder, their body produces antibodies to defend against a protein called gliadin that is present in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats.
The antibodies attack the cells in the intestines that absorb nutrients, causing malnourishment for people diagnosed with celiac disease.
Grains that do not contain gliadin include amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, quinoa, sorghum, and teff. Generally speaking, these foods are also safe for people with a gluten intolerance or wheat allergy as long as they were not manufactured, processed, or packaged in the same facility as foods containing gliadin.
Those with gluten intolerance will experience digestive issues such as stomach pain and bloating. Sometimes these symptoms can be managed with digestive enzyme supplements and a reduced gluten diet.
A wheat allergy manifests similar symptoms as gluten intolerance, but may also cause anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction. Wheat allergies should be taken just as seriously as a celiac disease when choosing a completely gluten-free diet.
Those diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) may follow a Low FODMAP diet and limit gluten intake.
FODMAP is an acronym for naturally-occurring food chemicals that may irritate the digestive system. The “O” in FODMAP stands for oligosaccharides, a chemical found in gluten products such as wheat, barley, and rye.
What Chinese Meals Are Gluten-Free?
There are some Chinese meals that can be prepared completely gluten-free in a restaurant or home setting. Be sure to thoroughly check the ingredient list of a new recipe to make sure it’s safe to prepare at home.
Due to the popularity of rice in Chinese culture, there are many Chinese foods that are automatically gluten-free. Some Chinese restaurants label their gluten-free menu items with the symbol “GF.” Below is a list of Chinese foods that may show up as gluten-free on a menu.
- Cheung fun
- Nian Gao
- Side of white or brown rice
- Chow fun
- Mei fun
Unfortunately for gluten-free folks with an affinity for Chinese food, a lot of crowd favorites such as Kung Pao chicken, fried rice, and Lo Mein contain wheat.
However, there are ways to substitute common ingredients with gluten-free ones to recreate these classic dishes.
Can You Order Guten-Free at Restaurants?
Depending on where in the world you are, the menus and options will most likely look a bit different. What I’ve found is that most waiters will try to meet you halfway when it comes to gluten intolerance and other complications associated with certain ingredients.
If the restaurant’s menu doesn’t state whether or not a dish is gluten-free or not, ask the waiter to recommend something that is gluten-free or ask if the chef can make a gluten-free version of the dish.
Looking at the number of people with gluten intolerance today, restaurants will have grown accustomed to people wondering these types of things. You’re not the first one to ask, and if they haven’t made it simple for you to identify whether or not a dish is safe for you to eat, nothing else should be expected.
What Chinese Meals Can Be Made Gluten-Free?
Luckily in this day and age, there are a wide variety of gluten-free substitutes for classic Chinese ingredients. The list below includes gluten-free products that may be used in Chinese cuisine.
- Cornstarch
- Rice vinegar
- Gluten-free Hoisin Sauce
- Gluten-free Oyster Sauce
- Gluten-free Fish Sauce
- Tamari Sauce
- Substitute for soy sauce
- Can be used in:
- Fried rice
- Noodle dishes
- Dipping sauces
- Plum Sauce
- Substitute for duck sauce
- Mirin
- Substitute for rice vinegar or Shaoxing cooking wine
- Rice Flour
- Substitute for all-purpose flour
- Rice Wrapper / Paper
- Substitute for dumpling, pot sticker, and wonton wrappers
When cooking at home, it’s much easier to use gluten-free ingredients. The list below outlines gluten-free preparations of common Chinese meals.
- Dumplings prepared with rice paper
- Pot stickers made with rice wrapper and served with tamari dipping sauce
- BBQ ribs made with tamari sauce
- Fried rice prepared with tamari sauce
- Egg Foo Young prepared with tamari sauce and mirin
- Kung Pao chicken made with tamari sauce
- Szechuan shrimp, chicken, pork, or beef prepared with mirin and without hoisin
- Shrimp with garlic sauce prepared with tamari and mirin
- Hot braised chicken prepared with tamari sauce only
- Peking duck prepared with tamari and mirin
- Sweet and sour pork prepared with tamari sauce
- Beef & broccoli prepared with tamari sauce and no other sauces
- Mongolian beef prepared with tamari sauce and no other sauces
What Chinese Sauces Are Gluten-Free?
Tamari sauce is the most prevalent gluten-free sauce, although it has roots in Japanese cuisine. It is made with fermented soybeans and tastes richer and appears darker than traditional soy sauce.
Plum sauce is also considered to be gluten-free unless it is made with hoisin sauce. As the name suggests, the sauce is made of boiled sweet plums with vinegar, salt, crushed black pepper, and chili peppers. The brand Wok Mei carries a gluten-free variety of plum sauces.
Light vs. Dark Soy Sauce
Chinese soy sauce is typically made with a blend of soybeans and wheat. Light soy sauce contains a higher percentage of wheat than soybeans. Dark soy sauce contains a higher percentage of soybeans than wheat.
Light soy sauce is common as a last-minute seasoning agent in Cantonese cooking. Light soy sauce is also called “pure bean,” “thin,” or “fresh soy sauce” and is made from the first pressing of fermented soybeans. Common applications are stir-fry, soup, and marinades.
Dark soy sauce tastes less salty on the palate than light soy sauce and is used for cooking as opposed to seasoning. The flavor of dark soy sauce is robust enough to carry sweetness and umami flavors through to meat and sauces. Neither light nor dark soy sauce is gluten-free.
What Chinese Noodles Are Gluten-Free?
The word for “noodle” in Chinese is “mian” or “mien.” Though many consider noodles to be a staple of Chinese cuisine, they aren’t all made from wheat. Though not comprehensive, the list below outlines gluten-free noodle options, even if some have roots in other cuisines.
- Buckwheat sweet potato noodles
- Cheung fun
- Chickpea noodles
- Chow fun
- Glass AKA saifun AKA bean thread AKA cellophane noodles
- Ho fun
- Kelp noodles
- Mai fun AKA vermicelli rice noodles
- Quinoa noodles
- Rice noodles
- Shirataki noodles
- Soba / buckwheat noodles (only if the label reads “100% gluten-free”)
- Sweet potato noodles
- Zucchini or summer squash noodles (prepared from raw vegetables with a spiralizer)
Aside from noodles, there are other ingredients in Chinese cuisine that may contain gluten. The ingredients in common appetizers, main courses, and sauces are likely to contain gluten.
What Chinese Ingredients Should You Avoid If You’re Gluten-Intolerant?
Below is a list of Chinese ingredients to potentially avoid if you are not able to eat gluten:
- All-purpose flour
- Noodles
- Buckwheat noodles (blended variety)
- Egg noodles
- Lo Mein
- Yi Mein
- Yao Mein
- Diao Xiao Mian
- La Mian
- Liangpi
- Sauces
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Duck sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Fish sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Wines & Vinegar
- Shaoxing wine
- Rice vinegar
- Dumplings
Exercise caution if you are managing a gluten intolerance. Read labels carefully and educate yourself on menu items that may contain gluten before eating at a restaurant.