Are you wondering whether Thai food is suitable for someone who is on a gluten free diet? Or maybe you are looking for examples of Thai dishes that are gluten free? Well either way, you are in the right place! In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about gluten in Thai food.
We start out by talking about common Thai dishes and ingredients that are gluten free. After that, we discuss some examples of popular Thai dishes and ingredients that are not gluten free. Next, we discuss some examples of Thai dishes and ingredients that may or may not be gluten free depending on where you get them. Finally, we discuss whether Thai food is a good option for someone who maintains a gluten free diet.
What Thai food is gluten free?
Are you wondering what common Thai items are gluten free? In this section, we will talk about popular Thai items that are gluten free. We will start out by discussing common ingredients that are used in Thai food that are gluten free. After that, we will discuss popular Thai dishes that are gluten free.
Note that while the ingredients and dishes we discuss in this section are usually gluten free, that does not necessarily mean that they will always be gluten free at all establishments. You should always make sure to consult the chef or the allergen label before you eat a new item for the first time to ensure that the particular item you are eating is gluten free.
Gluten free Thai ingredients
Are you looking for examples of common Thai ingredients that are gluten free? In this section, we will discuss the most common ingredients that are used in Thai cooking that are gluten free.
- Vegetables (papaya, bamboo, eggplant, cabbage, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, daikon)
- Aromatics (onion, garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves)
- Herbs (cilantro, basil, mint)
- Chiles
- Spices (coriander, turmeric, cumin)
- Meats (chicken, beef, fish)
- Tofu
- Rice
- Rice noodles
- Coconut milk and coconut cream
- Palm sugar
- Shrimp paste
- Tamarind
- Curry paste
- Rice vinegar
- Rice flour
Gluten free Thai dishes
What popular Thai dishes are gluten free? Here are some common examples of Thai dishes that are made without any ingredients that contain gluten.
- Tom yum (when made without soy sauce)
- Tom kha (when made without soy sauce)
- Yellow curry (when made without soy sauce)
- Green curry (when made without soy sauce)
- Red curry (when made without soy sauce)
- Massaman curry (when made without soy sauce)
- Panang curry (when made without soy sauce)
- Larb
- Papaya salad
- Mango sticky rice
What Thai food is not gluten free?
And what Thai food is not gluten free? In this section, we will talk about examples of Thai items that are not usually gluten free. First we will talk about common ingredients that are used in Thai food that are not usually gluten free. After that, we will talk about common Thai dishes that are not usually gluten free.
Note that while the dishes and ingredients that we describe in this section are generally not gluten free, that does not mean that gluten free versions of them do not exist. There may be some restaurants and stores that provide gluten free versions of these items.
Thai ingredients that are not gluten free
What are some examples of ingredients that are used in Thai food that are not gluten free? Here are some examples of ingredients that are used in Thai food that are generally not gluten free.
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce (often contains gluten)
Thai dishes that are not gluten free
What are some examples of Thai dishes that are not gluten free? Here are some examples of Thai dishes that are frequently made with ingredients that contain gluten.
- Fried rice (when made with soy sauce or oyster sauce)
- Pad thai (when made with soy sauce or oyster sauce)
- Pad see ew (when made with soy sauce or oyster sauce)
- Drunken noodles (when made with soy sauce or oyster sauce)
- Chicken or beef satay with peanut sauce (when made with soy sauce or oyster sauce)
Thai food that may or may not be gluten free
What are some examples of Thai dishes that may or may not be gluten free depending on where you order them? In this section, we will discuss examples of Thai dishes that may or may not be gluten free depending on where you order them. For each item we discuss in this section, we will explain why that item sometimes contains gluten and sometimes does not.
- Anything with fish sauce. Whenever you eat at a new Thai restaurant, you should ask questions to understand whether the brand of fish sauce that they use is gluten free. Fish sauce is a very common ingredient that is used in a wide variety of Thai dishes. While many brands of fish sauce are gluten free, there are some brands that are not gluten free. If a restaurant uses a brand of fish sauce that is not gluten free, it is likely that many, many of the dishes will contain gluten.
- Thai curry. Thai curry is a prime example of a dish that is served at Thai restaurants that is usually gluten free, but may contain gluten at some locations. Traditional Thai curries are generally made without ingredients that contain gluten. That being said, some restaurants add soy sauce to their curry. You should always double check to make sure that there was not any soy sauce added to your curry before you eat it. This is applicable to all types of curries ranging from yellow curry and massaman curry to red curry and green curry.
- Fried tofu (cross contamination). Fried tofu is a common appetizer that is found at many Thai restaurants, especially in North America. Fried tofu may contain trace amounts of gluten if it is made in a fryer that is also used to cook other dishes that contain gluten. If you are highly sensitive to trace amounts of gluten and cross contamination, you should understand whether the fried tofu is cooked in a shared fryer before eating it.
- Fried foods (cross contamination). Similarly, any other foods that are made in the fryer may contain trace amounts of gluten if they are made in a shared fryer.
Is Thai food suitable for gluten free diets?
Is Thai food suitable for someone who is on a gluten free diet? This is a somewhat tricky question to answer because it is very dependent on exactly where the food was made. In general, there are very few ingredients that are used in Thai cooking that do contain gluten. Soy sauce and similar sauces that contain soy sauce are the main ingredients that are used in Thai food that do contain gluten. That being said, there are many Thai restaurants that put soy sauce in every sauce or curry they make.
Before you take someone who maintains a gluten free diet to a Thai restaurant, you should call and inquire about the gluten free options that are available. If there are not many options available, then you should look into other Thai restaurants in the area. Some Thai restaurants use gluten free soy sauce or tamari in place of regular soy sauce. These restaurants are very friendly to people who are on gluten free diets. They might even be one of the best options out there for people who are on gluten free diets.
Gluten free Thai restaurants
Are you looking for examples of Thai restaurants that offer gluten free options? In this section, we discuss some of our favorite Thai restaurants that offer gluten free options. For each restaurant we list in this section, we provide information on where this restaurant is located.
- Sugar & Spice Thai in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Pai Northern Thai Kitchen in Toronto, Ontario
- Emporium Thai Cuisine in Los Angeles, California
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