Food
Hidden Gluten in Turkish Food: 25 Things to Watch Out for on Holiday
From the vermicelli in your pilaf to the breadcrumbs in köfte, the flour in lentil soup and the starch in Turkish delight: a map of hidden gluten in Turkish cuisine.
At first glance Turkish cuisine looks very well suited to a gluten-free diet: grilled meats, vegetables cooked in olive oil, rice pilaf, yoghurt, and plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit. But many of its classics contain wheat, bulgur, semolina or flour, and often you can’t see them. The list below brings together the hidden sources of gluten you are most likely to come across on holiday.
The obvious ones
You know these already, but they are easy to miss when you are tired and on holiday:
- Bulgur: bulgur pilavı (bulgur wheat pilaf), kısır (bulgur salad), içli köfte (bulgur shells stuffed with meat), çiğ köfte (spiced bulgur patties), some dolma (stuffed vegetables) and ezogelin çorbası (red lentil and bulgur soup).
- Yufka and dough: börek (filo pastries), gözleme (stuffed flatbread), mantı (Turkish dumplings), lahmacun (thin spiced-meat flatbread), pide (Turkish flatbread or boat-shaped pizza), baklava, su böreği (layered boiled-pastry pie).
- Shredded pastry and semolina: künefe (shredded pastry with melted cheese), kadayıf, irmik helvası (semolina halva), revani and şambali (semolina sponge cakes in syrup).
- Tarhana and keşkek: tarhana (a fermented soup base) is made with wheat flour or cracked wheat; keşkek (a slow-cooked meat and grain dish) is made with pounded wheat.
- Breads: simit (sesame bread rings), pide, lavaş (thin flatbread), bazlama (griddle bread), açma and poğaça (soft savoury buns).
Hidden sources of gluten
| Food | Where might the gluten come from? | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Pirinç pilavı (rice pilaf) | Vermicelli or orzo-style pasta (tel şehriye, arpa şehriye) | “Is there plain rice without vermicelli?” |
| Köfte, minced meat for kebabs | Breadcrumbs, dried breadcrumbs, bulgur | “Are there breadcrumbs in the köfte?” |
| Lentil and vegetable soups | Flour for thickening, vermicelli | “Has the soup been thickened with flour?” |
| Béchamel and creamy sauces | Wheat flour | Generally avoid |
| Fried calamari, fish, prawns | Flour coating, shared fryer | “Can it be grilled, without flour?” |
| Midye dolma (stuffed mussels) | Bulgur or vermicelli in some recipes | Ask about the recipe |
| Meat and vegetable stews | Flour in the sauté, stock cubes | “Has the sauce been thickened with flour?” |
| Sucuk (spicy sausage), salami, sausages | Fillers and additives | Check the label on the packaging |
| Lokum (Turkish delight) | Wheat starch may be used | “Is it made with cornflour?” |
| Muhallebi (milk pudding) and other puddings | Wheat starch or flour | Ask which starch is used |
| Salad dressings | Soy sauce, mustard blends, malt vinegar | Ask for olive oil and lemon |
| Marinated meats | Soy sauce (most contains wheat) | Ask for an unmarinated portion |
| Ready-mixed spice blends | Flour as a carrier | Single spices where possible |
| Crisps and flavoured snacks | Flavourings, malt | The label |
| Beer, malt drinks | Barley malt | Is there gluten-free beer? |
Usually safe
The following are naturally gluten-free. Still, make sure nothing has been contaminated during preparation:
- Grilled fish and meat (unmarinated, on a clean grill)
- Zeytinyağlı dishes, vegetables cooked in olive oil (green beans, artichokes, borlotti beans)
- Cacık (yoghurt with cucumber), haydari (thick garlic and herb yoghurt dip), yoghurt, ayran (salted yoghurt drink)
- Cheeses, olives, honey, kaymak (clotted cream), as long as spoons are not shared
- Menemen (Turkish scrambled eggs with tomatoes and peppers), sahanda yumurta (eggs fried in a small pan)
- Rice pilaf (without vermicelli)
- Sütlaç (rice pudding), when made with rice and rice flour
- Fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts
- Tahini and pekmez (grape molasses), when pure
A practical tactic: make breakfast count
For anyone eating gluten-free, a Turkish breakfast is the easiest meal of the day. Cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, eggs, honey, kaymak and fruit are almost all gluten-free. The only risks are shared spoons and how close everything sits to the bread basket. A solid breakfast makes it easier to be choosy for the rest of the day.
If you find it hard to explain your needs in a restaurant, you can use our coeliac travel card.
