Is Dim Sum Gluten Free? Is dim sum free of gluten? What about other forms of Chinese food? Are they also gluten-free? If you enjoy Chinese food and are following a gluten-free diet, you’re probably curious about which varieties of Chinese food you can eat safely and which you can’t. This post will primarily concentrate on dim sum. However, we will also look at different forms of Chinese food and how to avoid gluten while eating them.
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Gluten-Free Dim Sum?
In general, dim sum cannot be termed gluten-free. However, certain forms of dim sum may be.
“Dim sum” refers to a form of Chinese meal served in small servings, frequently with tea. It is a diverse selection of dishes that are frequently enjoyed for brunch.
Though the word dim sum refers to a range of cuisines, many of the dim sum components remain pretty similar. These charming dinners are frequently served with seafood, meats, vegetables, dumplings, wraps, and rice noodle rolls. Is Dim Sum Gluten Free Desserts, soups, and other accompaniments such as steamed vegetables may also be provided, frequently at the same time as the rest of the meals because dim sum is not often consumed in a specific order.
With all of this in mind, it is easy to understand how the lines might become blurred while hunting for gluten-free dim sum. Because there are an unlimited amount of dim sum meals available in today’s modern restaurants, giving you a firm “yes” or “no” when it comes to whether or not dim sum is gluten-free is nearly impossible.
What we can say is that you should use caution when eating these popular Chinese dishes. Here are some of the reasons:
Ingredients to Avoid
When eating dim sum, keep in mind that many of the dishes may or may not contain wheat-containing ingredients. We’ll go over those ingredients in further detail in the following section of this post. Is Dim Sum Gluten Free For the time being, the most concerning gluten-free dim sum ingredients are soy, dumplings, wheat wrappers, and wheat noodles.
Examine the ingredients of the foods you select to eat. And if you’re not sure what you’re eating, don’t risk it.
Recipe Modification
Because there are so many different types of little meals that can be offered for dim sum, it may be difficult for you to determine what is in each dish. It will be difficult to ensure that it is suitable for your diet and health.
Check with the waiter and convey your concerns if possible. Is Dim Sum Gluten Free See if they can bring you a gluten-free dim sum dish.
If they are unable (which is possible because even soy sauce contains gluten), you may have to forego your dim sum and eat something else.
Ingredients Unknown
Unknown ingredients come with recipe modification, especially when taste-testing.
To minimize surprises, we recommend that you only consume dim sum dishes that you are acquainted with and are certain are gluten-free.
Dim sum may contain the following gluten-free ingredients:
- dumplings made from taro
- Taro dessert
- pudding made from tofu
- bunches of sticky rice
- simple rice
- Noodles made from rice
Tamari soy sauce and other gluten-free ingredients are also available.
We don’t recommend taking any chances unless you know your dim sum is produced using gluten-free ingredients.
Cross-Contamination
Aside from understanding what’s in your dim sum, you should also be concerned about how it was made.
Cross-contamination occurs when gluten from wheat-containing goods enters a gluten-free dish. Is Dim Sum Gluten Free This can happen in any environment or restaurant unless the establishment goes out of its way to prevent it. While many restaurants are becoming more knowledgeable about gluten-free cuisine and cross-contamination prevention, not all eateries follow these recommendations.
Consuming even “gluten-free” dim sum can pose dangers if the restaurant or location where you are eating the dim sum is not taking the necessary procedures to keep your meal safe.
Gluten-Free Chinese Recipes
Now that you have a better understanding of why dim sum may not be the ideal option for gluten-free persons, it is time to move on to Chinese food in general.
If you have gluten sensitivity or have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, it is likely that dining out in unexpected areas causes you anxiety.
When dining in Asian restaurants, you need not only be mindful of what is in your food, but you should also ensure that communication channels are open. Is Dim Sum Gluten Free If the staff is unable to understand your requirements or if you are unable to understand the staff, it may be preferable to seek assistance or to refrain from eating at the establishment. For people with Celiac Disease or high sensitivity, it is critical that your server be aware of and understands your dietary requirements in order for you to protect your health.
Once you’ve created communication channels, you should be vigilant in learning more about what’s in your meals. In addition, how your Chinese food is cooked.
Let’s go through some of the ingredients to look out for when ordering Chinese food if you’re gluten-free:
The Dressing
Many Chinese restaurants provide meals with delectable and flavorful sweet and umami-flavored sauces on top of meat, vegetables, wraps, and dumplings.
Despite being an Asian staple, many of these wonderful sauces are thickened with flour.
Because of this, you should exercise caution when drinking sauces from any restaurant, especially if the sauce appears thick. It’s possible that the sauce was thickened with flour.
The soybean
You may already be aware of this. However, if you don’t, your typical soy sauce may include wheat. Is Dim Sum Gluten Free While there are various soy sauce solutions available for persons with Celiac Disease or gluten allergies, they aren’t commonly used in the normal Chinese restaurant.
As a result, because most dishes in Chinese restaurants contain soy sauce, you must be careful to either avoid foods containing soy or request that no soy sauce be added to your food.
However, keep in mind that not all people with gluten sensitivities react poorly to soy sauce. So, when it comes to this particular condiment, it is possible that one person reacts differently to soy than the other.
The Doughnuts (and Wrappings)
This should come as no surprise, but the dumplings and wrappers on dim sum and other Chinese cuisine products are huge gluten-free offenders.
These wrappings and dumpling shells frequently contain flour with additional components, making them a no-no.
You might be able to locate certain dim sum recipes that employ gluten-free wraps (such as rice and taro wraps), but don’t count on it.
To avoid swallowing gluten that may make you unwell, always ask whoever is serving your food about the contents ahead of time.
The Broiling
Last but not least, when eating dim sum, keep an eye out for breading on items.
The breading will almost always be made of flour. Is Dim Sum Gluten Free However, in rare situations, you can get lucky and discover that the breading is comprised of cornstarch (which is considered gluten-free).
Whatever the case, you should be aware that fried and breaded gluten-free Chinese cuisine is frequently cooked in the same oil or pan as gluten-containing dishes. This means that gluten exposure is still a possibility.
Recipes for Gluten-Free Chinese Food: Gluten-Free Stir Fry
Concerned about how in-person dining will influence your gluten-free diet? Why not try your hand at making your own Asian food at home?
When you can’t eat out, try this wonderful gluten-free stir fry recipe to fulfill your yearning for Chinese food.
Ingredients
- Sauce
- 12 cup chicken stock
- 14 cup soy sauce (gluten-free) (try San-J Tamari Soy Sauce)
- three tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 12 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 14 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, or a sweet chili sauce substitute)
Meat and vegetables
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips or cubes, salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cups florets broccoli
- 1 red bell pepper, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 12 cup shredded or thinly sliced carrots
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
Method
Making Gluten-Free Chinese Stir Fry
Make the sauce
Set aside all of the sauce ingredients in a small mixing dish or measuring cup.
Season the chicken
Before heating a big skillet over medium-high heat, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Cook the chicken.
When the pan is heated, add the chicken and cook until it is fully cooked through. When completed, transfer the chicken to a clean plate and set it aside.
Cook the vegetables
Add extra oil to the same skillet and throw in your stir-fry vegetables. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Cook for another minute after adding the garlic.
Put everything together
Return the chicken to the pan and cover with the reserved sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat. Allow your stir fry to cook in the sauce until aromatic and thickened.
Serve
Serve over rice. Enjoy!
Is Dim Sum free of gluten? Not quite…
So, does dim sum include gluten? Not quite. Though some types of dim sum may be gluten-free, the majority are not.
Not only will many dim sum meals contain wheat in their ingredients, but many dim sums will be contaminated with gluten due to cross-contamination with other dim sum delicacies.
Unless you are fortunate enough to come across a Chinese restaurant that is really informed and thorough about serving gluten-free meals, your best bet may be to skip dim sum entirely. Is Dim Sum Gluten Free Make your favorite Chinese cuisine at home in the comfort (and safety) of your own kitchen.
Another gluten-free recipe you might want to try is Jiyu Tang Soup. More about Chinese cuisine can be found in our post Hunan Pork vs Szechuan Pork.
We hope you found this information useful – We’ll see you soon!
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FAQs
Do Dim Sums contain gluten?
It is possible to get gluten-free dim sum, however due to the issues discussed in this post, we do not recommend eating dim sum without knowing exactly what’s in it and how it was prepared if you are gluten sensitive.
Is flour used in the preparation of Dim Sum?
Some dim sum dishes are created with flour. Remember that soy contains wheat and is a common component in most Chinese dishes.
Are gluten-free dumplings common?
Dumplings are not usually gluten-free. They are often produced from wheat flour and should be avoided by persons who have Celiac Disease or are gluten sensitive.
Which Chinese meals are gluten-free?
Rice noodles, fried rice, brown rice, white rice, steamed meat, and vegetables are all gluten-free options. Many sauces, however, may contain gluten. Some Asian restaurants accommodate gluten-free customers by offering at least one or two gluten-free meals, so be sure to inform your server if you need these options.
