Coeliac Awareness Week 2014: Being gluten-free in South East Asia

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have coeliac disease- meaning I can’t eat anything which contains gluten (wheat, barley or rye). It’s pretty annoying as gluten seems to be in everything, from bread to chocolate and from soups to cake. Having been diagnosed for just over two years, and with my dad having it too (it’s hereditary) I have managed to change my lifestyle and lead a pretty normal life.

I was sceptical about moving to a non-speaking English country with it. Eating even just a tiny breadcrumb by accident can leave me feeling poorly for weeks. It can be a bit of a nightmare. However, I wasn't not going to take a job because of it. Thousands of people across the world are diagnosed with coeliac disease so I have never wanted it to affect any of my life choices.

Luckily it hasn't been as hard as I thought it may be. When I first arrived, I discovered that my housemate had coeliac too! The main difficulty is that I’m unable to cook anything from home, as our kitchen is pretty much non-existent. As I said before, there is a rat issue- so gross.

This means I eat out every day, and this is normally street food. Before I left, my dad printed me off a little card, which says something along the lines of “I have coeliac disease, gluten makes me ill” in Vietnamese. Seriously, if I gave this to the main places I eat at, I would just get some really confused and funny looks.

Fortunately, rice is the staple food of all meals over here. It’s always rice and egg, rice and pork, rice and chicken etc. etc. Though this is bland, I always know that it is gluten-free!

I have however had a couple of awkward situations. The other week the taxi driver who takes me to my Friday school each week had bought me a banh mi (a baguette) for breakfast. This was so so kind of him and I felt so bad saying I couldn't eat it! I tried to explain why, but he speaks next to no English-so he probably just thought I was bloody ungrateful!

As it’s Coeliac Awareness Week this week, I thought I would give a few little tips for those who have coeliac disease and are thinking of moving to Vietnam:

White noodles are OK to eat

It’s the yellow ones you need to stay clear of- these contain wheat. The white ones are made with rice. As long as they’re white its fine! There is a dish called Bun Bo Hue which is delicious, and it's basically different types of meat (unsure what meat…..…) with a thicker rice noodle. It feels like spaghetti, so it may feel like you’re eating wheat…but you’re not so don’t worry!

Useful phrases...

If you feel the restaurant you’re eating at would understand, just show them a piece of paper with these phrases on. You never know they may be well aware of it! However be prepared for a lot of confused faces.

I cannot eat foods that contain wheat.  Tôi không thể ăn thực ăn có bột mì.

If I eat food containing wheat flour, I will be sick.  Nếu tôi ăn thức ăn có bột mì, tôi sẽ bị bệnh.

Does this item contain wheat flour? Thực ăn này có bột mì không?

Important words: Wheat flour - bột mì. Bread (prefix for anything baked) - bánh mì (bánh)

      

        Be prepared to eat rice 24/7

I’ve gone days where I’ve eaten rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is probably not great for my diet in general; however the Vietnamese just bloody love their rice.

Beer

This is probably one of the most difficult things having coeliac. In most places, beer is actually cheaper than water! And most other alcoholic alternatives can be up to 3 times the price. Obviously this price is still pretty cheap in comparison to the UK. I have been either drinking wine (I’m yet to find one that has been half decent) or vodka and a mixer. Be careful with the vodka though. Try to drink known brands like Smirnoff, as though the local brands are cheaper it can be lethal and you never know what is actually in it.
      

      There are always food parcels…

Though this is quite pricey from the UK, it can still be an option for family and friends at home send you your favourite gluten-free treats. My parents sent me one last month. Though it was quite pricey and took around 3 weeks to arrive, it was such a great surprise!

If you think there is a possibility there is gluten in your meal-don’t eat it

Literally it isn’t worth it. Being ill out here in this extreme heat is ten times worse than in the UK. Though it could be tempting, just don’t do it.