Dining gluten-free in Italy needn't be a chore. Photo / 123RF
Dining gluten-free in Italy needn't be a chore. Photo / 123RF
Visitors to Italy will find its famed foods come in many gluten-free forms they'll love, writes Nellie Tuck
Italians don't just do carbs, they DO carbs. Pizza. Pasta. Ciabatta. Calzone. Italy is home to it all. One of the many allures of travelling is the opportunity to experience a country's finest cuisine, exactly the way it was intended.
Italy then, can prove to be a bit of a dilemma for any traveller not looking to leave it with an extra 10kg of baggage on the hips. That's peanuts, though, compared to how daunting the land of pasta must seem to people who cannot share in the joy of any of these foods, unless of course a cure is found for coeliac disease.
About one in 100 Kiwis are affected by the autoimmune disease — my partner being one of them — in which the body is severely intolerant of gluten. It's found in wheat flours, oats, barley and rye. No guesses as to which ingredients are Italian staples.
So, as we planned our trip to Italy, me with romantic notions of Venice and he looking forward to Pisa, we prepared ourselves for the fact that it was going to be a difficult trip, food-wise.
I secretly shelved any hopes of a Lady and the Tramp moment and we started practising our Italian, "Io sono celiaca" (I am coeliac) and "senza glutine" (gluten-free), with little hope anyone would understand.
We nervously mumbled those rehearsed words for the first time as we sat at one of the many shaded tables on a busy, cobbled lane in Rome. Looking at the waitress apologetically, we held our breath.
She smiled, nodded "Si" and marched back inside. Our hearts sank. She clearly hadn't understood.
She returned a moment later with a different menu altogether, cheerfully handing it to us and repeating the words "Senza glutine". Remarkable.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, I thanked her. Unfortunately, in my state of shock, I happened to say "Merci beaucoup", the French and not Italian phrase for "Thank you very much" (it's an easy mistake to make when you're jumping countries and languages throughout Europe, or at least that's what I'm telling myself).
She got the point and faux pas aside, the gluten-free menu was incredible. Gluten-free pasta? No, surely not. Surely yes! Fresh, creamy, senza glutine pasta. Oh how wrong we were to have such little faith in the country known for its love of food.
It turns out Italians are more than just aware of gluten intolerance. Children are tested for gluten disorders before they start kindergarten and the Government provides those diagnosed with coeliac a small food subsidy to buy gluten-free products each month.
As a recognised medical condition, most Italian pharmacies or "farmacias" will have an entire shelf of gluten-free goodies and you'll also often find supermarkets with gluten-free sections.
Then there are the ristoranti (restaurants). Not only do the chefs do gluten-free, they DO gluten-free. Pizza? No problem. A basket of bread perhaps? Of course. A crostini here, a Tuscan bruschetta there, gnocchi made from rice, pasta made from corn; all made to the finest Italian standard. Some were so accommodating that instead of a menu, they literally brought the gluten-free pasta to your table to choose from.
To top it off, there's gelato. With its home in Florence, no one does this creamy, frozen dessert quite like the Italians — with little stalls and carts and glistening glass cabinets, full of delicious, colourful, indulgent flavours. From the rich and creamy to a fresh sorbet, there is an array of gluten-free options to choose from.
Prepare to be wowed by unique flavours too, from apple cinnamon to peanut butter. If it's authentic gelato (you're in Italy so it's going to be), it will have been made with all-natural ingredients.
It doesn't end there. We even found "Il cono per tutti" — a cone for everyone — at some gelaterias, meaning gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free travellers are able to enjoy gelato in a cone, too.
Although all this has not exactly helped my extra baggage dilemma, it has re-affirmed that sharing the joy of good food is just as enjoyable as the actual food.
