<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
This was all from one very generous listserv member.
Below is information I gathered recently for UK Gluten-free message board
for a teenager going to Rome. You will find lots of specifics on Venice in
particular in the Celiac Archives. My impression is that the north of
Italy has better awareness than elsewhere but I am sure you will find
awareness evrywhere better than the US. Also rice dishes are more common in
Venice (but be careful the rice is not cooked in pasta water). There are
very good GF products around if you have time to find them - look at the
Schar http://www.schaer.com and Bi-Aglut websites
http://www.biaglut.com/prodotti/default.aspx Incidentally I have found it
quite easy to eat gluten-free in really good Italian restaurants outside
Italy as they know what is in their food and do not generally thicken
sauces with flour. Antipastas are generally OK. If in doubt go for the
more upmarket places: the touristy places selling cheap pasta and pizza
will be the worst. Good Italian food is I think the best in the world, so
you don't want to miss out!
Charlotte, Oxford, UK
Travel card:
http://www.celiactravel.com/gluten-free-cards/21-italian.html
You may need to take basics (bread, crackers and cereal), including snacks
for the flights if you don't spend time searching for these products.
The Italian Coeliac society has quite lot of information but mostly in Italian:
http://www.celiachia.it/
Although all in Italian this page is good for the words to look out for (on
packets of crisps, ice-creams etc). You could print this off and take it
with you:
http://www.celiachia.it/alimentazione/dove.asp
Restaurants with gluten-free options (NB Rome is in Lazio; "Dove" means
"where")
http://www.celiachia.it/ristoratori/ristoratori.asp?idregione=8
DS Pizza Point in Rome have Gf pizzas:
http://www.dspizzapoint.com/it/dove/9.html
icecream (gelateria):
http://www.celiachia.it/gelaterie/gelaterie.asp?idregione=8
Italian handbook to download (long):
http://www.celiachia.it/dietetici/
This lists products (in Italian only) by producer (next to phone number).
You could write down the main names and look out for them in pharmacists
("farmaci"), mostly Dr. Schar and Bi-Aglut (including Bi-Aglut GF lager).
Look for the lit up green cross and ask for "Cibi senza glutine"
(pronounced: cheebee senza gluteenay"if you don't know Italian). There are
some excellent Italian products if you can find them, though some would
need cooking."
"I went to Rome last year and stumbled on a central restaurant which did GF
food. The owner was an absolute star and he did GF pizza and pasta (don't
worry - his daughter's got CD so he knows what he's on about!) We ended up
going most evenings and the desserts were wonderful too. Just ask for him
and he will tell you what you can and can't have. The address is:
Al Caminetto, Via del Nazareno 3/4, 00187 Rome,Tel: 06.6793124
The pharmacies could order GF food for you but they don't as a rule tend to
keep it on the shelves. As here, it appeared that they could get it in
within a day."
"The oddest place I found for good GF meal was actually inside the Vatican
complex - you have to queue up take a tour of the inside then it leads to a
cafeteria type place."
This is my own travel card translated at:
http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr. I always try to stress what I can eat!
Try to learn a few phrases to say: "Non posso mangiare farina o pane" is
the most basic.
TRAVEL Italian Restaurant card
ENGLISH
I have coeliac disease. I cannot eat gluten which is in wheat, barley, rye
or oats. I cannot eat any bread, flour, pastas, biscuits or cake - not
even the tiniest amount.
I can eat meat, vegetables, potatoes, rice, maize, butter, cheese, milk,
fruit, oil, vinegar, sugar, wine.
Please suggest the meal that I can eat.
I appreciate your help.
ITALIAN
Ho malattia celiaca.
Non posso mangiare il glutine che č in frumento, in orzo, in segale o in avena.
Non posso mangiare alcuni pane, farina, paste, biscotti o torta - per non
neppure l'importo pių molto piccolo.
Posso mangiare la carne, verdure, patate, riso, mais, burro, formaggio,
latte, frutta, olio, aceto, lo zucchero, vino.
Suggerisca prego il pasto che posso mangiare.
Apprezzo il vostro aiuto.
Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC
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