Okay, folks, this is a difficult one. I’m currently on the road for work and will aim to blog a little on the food-related discoveries I make while travelling gluten-free.
Quick one: many people won’t know what you mean by “gluten-free” here. The best you can do is ask if any wheat or barley or pre-made sauces were used in the preparation of a food. Thankfully, most middle eastern food is naturally gluten-free. You’ll have to watch for wheat mixed into sauces, breads or pitas, and/or pre-made sauces which contain wheat extract, barley, etc. If the restaurant is purist about things, most of the food will be made from chick peas, rice, olive oil, et cetera — all happy foods for us celiacs.
However, in places like airports, go for simple Mediterranean foods like hummus, baba ghanoush, and grape leaves.
Make sure to double confirm that there is no wheat added as a thickener, and no pre-made sauces used. The three items above are usually a safe bet!
Peace,
Daisy
Great job, Daisy! Very informative and useful posting. Keep up your good job.
Peter