The Faux Amis

If you don't know French, faux amis is the way of saying "fake friends" (I always have to throw some French in there 😂). What I mean by this is that if you have celiac disease or even gluten intolerance, there are some products that may seem safe but are instead things you should be cautious of. Are you ready? 

1. Soy Sauce

I'm not sure if this faux ami has already been widely revealed, but it's still important to note. In fact, wheat is the primary ingredient in this amazing sauce! However, you can often request gluten free soy sauce, and if a substitute is needed, tamari is very similar.

2. Oats

You need to be careful with oats; I've never had a problem, but it really depends on the brand. Let me explain: the big "if" here is all in cross contamination; the facility could have some slip ups and accidentally slide some gluten in there. The grain itself is celiac safe in every way, but there are countless opportunities for mistakes when the oats are being harvested, packaged, and transported. 

Try to do some research! If you're looking for a good brand, Bob's Red Mill is what I've always used.

3. Beer and Brandy

Beer is naturally made with wheat, barely, or rye, and if you read my article on celiac disease, it was noted how those grains possess the protein of gluten, a celiac's natural enemy (not actually). Brandy is the same.

If you're searching for some good gluten free beer, try Ghostfish; I've always heard positive things!

4. Mustard and Soup 

I put these two together because they can sometimes have gluten for the same reason: thickeners. In soup, there is the possibility that a roux was added. That special ingredient is mainly made of fat, butter, and.... wait for it... flour!

With mustard, wheat flour is sometimes added to thicken, especially in English mustards. 

So, just be careful!

5. French Fries

Really, anything fried could be a faux ami, even if they're naturally gluten free. For example, french fries are simply strips of potatoes with salt and the occasional grain of pepper. However, the delectable crispiness that we've begun to charish in haystack fries is all from the oil they are fried in. And often, other gluten containing, breaded products are put into that same mixture. 

This is a case of cross contamination, for more times than not, if the restaurant isn't gluten free and they fry nuggets, chicken tenders, et cetera, the french fries are not safe. 

This article isn't meant to be a downer, it's simply meant to caution!

Until next time, 

Genuine GF