Gluten-free, Low-Sugar Asian Food?

Har Kow (shrimp) dumplings -- unfortunately high in gluten.

I absolutely LOVE Asian cuisines, but since adapting a low carb, low sugar, gluten-free diet i have had to make some sizable adjustments. I discovered that many of my favorite Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian foods contained wheat and often considerable amounts of sugar as well. The most obvious example would be dumplings and many varieties of noodles. Just about ALL dumplings served in restaurants or available pre-made at Asian markets are made with wheat. Many noodles are too, but there are also noodles made from rice ("rice vermicelli," Pad Thai noodles), mung beans ("cellophane" or "glass" noodles), and buckwheat (usually called by their Japanese name, soba - but watch out - not all soba noodles are wheat and gluten free!) Another option available from Japanese markets and health food stores is shirataki noodles made from konnyaku (also known as konjac – a kind of potato) and/or tofu. Still another relatively new item on the market are kelp noodles which are made from a "seaweed," or sea vegetable. These last two do have a bit of a different texture to them, however, but are worth exploring. I would also suggest trying your hand at making noodles from zucchini or squash using a spiralizer -- sometimes called "zoodles," which are surprisingly satisfying!

And what about dumplings? I can't imagine living the rest of my life without ever eating those delicious little mouthfuls, dipped in their savory, spicy sauce! In my opinion, dumplings are to die for, but sadly they do constitute a major problem for those needing to avoid gluten. I always thought that har kow dumplings (pictured above) with their translucent skins and their luscious shrimp filling, were wheat-free, but alas it is not the case. Sadly even they contain wheat. However, I do believe it is possible to make wheat-free dumplings! Keep the faith, dumpling eaters! I plan to do some serious experimentation in the near future and will post my results and recipes soon!

But there's more bad news on the Chinese food front. Sugar and wheat seems to be ever-present in the food-stuffs exported from China. The majority of Chinese sauces sourced from China have at least a little bit of wheat in them. This is especially true of all varieties of soy sauce. Wheat is also found in most varieties of hoisin sauce, oyster sauce (including "vegetarian oyster" sauce), and Chinese bean sauces (essentially their equivalent to miso.) Another big problem with hoisin, oyster and bean sauces is that they're all primarily SUGAR. In the case of soy sauce, there are alternatives. Look for gluten-free tamari (San-J makes a good one.) Tamari is a Japanese soy-based sauce that is very similar in quality to a light soy. Also most varieties of miso sold in Japanese markets and health-food stores are wheat-free and low sugar, and with a little bit of creative mixing can make excellent replacements for Chinese hoisin, oyster and bean sauces.

I became very fond of a Chinese sauce called toban djan or chili bean paste, an essential hot and spicy accent used in Sichuan and Hunan cuisine. The best varieties are made with flat beans (aka fava beans), but soy bean is also commonly used. The problem is, try as I may, I couldn't find a variety of toban djan that didn't have wheat in it. Then I discovered gochujang, a Korean chili bean sauce which is very similar to toban djan -- and much to my delight there are actually several companies making "artisan" varieties that are gluten-free! Do a search for gochujang on Amazon and you'll have no trouble finding them.

My longtime love of Indian food has also called for me to make some compromises. Here, it is those wonderful breads that I've had to give up. Chapati, naan, paratha, and samosas are all made with wheat flour. One exception is papadum, which is usually made with black gram flour. The bread-like foods found in South India are often wheat-free, however -- dosas, vadais and idlis are made primarily with flours made from rice and black gram.

Japanese food uses wheat much in the same way that Chinese food does -- in the making of noodles and dumplings. Udon and ramen noodles are wheat-based. Soba noodles (already mentioned above) are made primarily with buckwheat which despite it's name is not a wheat at all. But many soba noodles also contain wheat, so if one wants to eat them you need to make sure you're buying gluten-free soba. I've also seen soba noodles made from rice and many other interesting ingredients lately. As far as dumplings go, the gyoza dumplings commonly found in Japanese restaurants are pretty much exactly the same as their Chinese counterparts, and are wheat-based.

The food-stuffs found in other Asian cuisines -- Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian -- compare pretty much with what I've outlined above. If you want to be gluten-free, beware of dumplings and noodles! Also beware that just about ALL food found in Asian restaurants (except Indian) are likely to have wheat-bearing soy sauce in them, so being 100% gluten-free while dining out may be nearly impossible. Gauging the sugar content of prepared food can be more difficult, but I'd say watch out for dishes that have thick, rich sauces based on soy. More and more, I rely on making my own Oriental food at home using only gluten-free and low sugar products. To be honest, it isn't hard to make food that is far more delicious than what is available in the majority of restaurants -- it just takes a little attention to detail. I will post some recipes soon!