Gluten & Peanut Allergies: A Guide to Chinese Street Food

Gluten and peanut allergies are two of the most common food allergies in areas like US and Canada. When buying packaged foods in large supermarkets, it's usually easy to check for these ingredients. However, with street food, you often don't know exactly what's in your food. Vendors may even use misleading names that make you think a dish is gluten-free or peanut-free when it isn't.

If you have a gluten or peanut allergy, here's your guide to navigating Chinese street food safely.

Key takeaway: Learn to read (and ideally pronounce) the following Chinese terms so you can effectively communicate your allergies to vendors.

烤面筋 - Grilled Wheat Gluten

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面筋 (miàn jīn) - Wheat Gluten

面筋 (miàn jīn), often translated as "wheat gluten" or "seitan," is almost pure gluten. It's a very popular street food ingredient in China, so if you have a gluten allergy, you must avoid it.

Unlike some foods where gluten is a hidden ingredient in a sauce or batter, 面筋 is the food itself. It's made by washing wheat flour dough until all the starch is removed, leaving behind the sticky, elastic gluten.

面筋(miàn jīn) comes in many forms:

• 烤面筋 (kǎo miàn jīn) - Grilled wheat gluten on skewers, often seasoned with spices. This is very common street food.
• 烤麸 (kǎo fū) - Another form of wheat gluten, but with a more spongy texture. Often braised or stir-fried and found in vegetarian dishes.
• 素鸡 (sù jī) - Literally "vegetarian chicken," made from pressed layers of gluten resembling tofu skin. Often seasoned and fried to mimic chicken texture.
• 胡辣汤 (hú là tāng) - A popular spicy and savory soup, often containing a significant amount of 面筋 (miàn jīn).
• 凉皮 (liáng pí) - A cold noodle dish with two main varieties:
  • 面皮 (miàn pí) - Made from wheat flour, containing gluten. This is the most common type.
  • 米皮 (mǐ pí) - Made from rice flour, and thus gluten-free.

Therefore, if you see anything with the characters 面筋, or if a vendor mentions "miàn jīn," avoid it entirely.

花生 (huā shēng) - Peanuts

花生 (huā shēng) - Peanuts, are very common in Chinese snacks and meals, from whole peanuts to crushed peanut pieces to hidden peanut butter. If you have a peanut allergy, here’s your practical safety guide:

• 麻酱 (má jiàng) - Sesame paste. Often served as a dipping sauce, especially with hot pot (涮羊肉 - shuàn yáng ròu - mutton hot pot, a popular Beijing dish). Although called "sesame paste," it's often a blend of sesame and peanut butter. Be very careful. You can always ask for garlic sesame oil (蒜香麻油 - suàn xiāng má yóu) or other dipping sauces as alternatives for hot pot.
• 牛轧花生糖 (niú gá huā shēng táng) - Peanut nougat candy, a popular sweet treat. Made of peanuts, sugar, and often other ingredients like milk powder, gelatin, or egg whites. Obviously a no-go for peanut allergies.
• 花生酥 (huā shēng sū) - Peanut brittle, a very common sweet snack. Made of peanuts and sugar, also a no-go for peanut allergies.
• 凉拌菜 (liáng bàn cài) - Cold dishes. Many cold dishes, especially in northern China, use a dressing containing peanut butter or sesame paste (which can sometimes be contaminated with peanuts).

If allergies aren't a concern, then you're in for a treat cuz China is definitely a street food paradise. I might just have to write a follow-up post with my top recommendations.