<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Thank you to everyone who responded to my questions about Japanese food. I received more than 20 responses that not only helped me figure what can be eaten safely, but also helped me keep the whole thing in perspective. It was a good reminder as we face the holiday party season, that it is just one evening and there is lots more to a celebration than the food. It appears that many list members enjoy Japanese food on a regular basis. There is a lot of gluten hidden in Japanese food, but with care and a cooperative restaurant, there are good things to try. Here is a summary of the information I received: - take your own soy sauce because the one they use is likely to have wheat or barley in it - soy sauce is added to many dishes so make sure the chef understands the problem - watch out for food cooked on a shared grill that might be contaminated by soy sauce or other food - imitation crab meat (surimi) always contains gluten - eel is coated with a sauce that has gluten in it - miso soup frequently has wheat, barley, or soy sauce in it; some writers eat it but most warned against it - soba noodles and udon noodles are made from buckwheat, but often contain wheat as well - tempura is battered vegetables or fish, usually made with wheat but occasionally made with corn starch -Teppan-Kaki style of Japanese cuisine is grilled vegetables, fish, or meat cooked in oil and soy sauce and eaten with plain rice - vegetable sushi (cucumber, avocados) should be all right - try sushi with hamachi (yellowtail) instead of crab - tamago is sushi where the fish is replaced by sweet cooked egg and is OK - edamame is salted, boiled soybeans in the pod and should be safe (and apparently is fun to eat) - sliced ginger should be all right - wasabi (green mustard or green horseradish, depending on the writer) is hot, but should be all right; one person cautioned about a brand containing unknown natural flavors - terriaki of any kind is made with soy sauce; if you have an accommodating chef you might get it made with your own sauce - seaweed salad is marinated with rice vinegar and should be safe - watch out for wheat tea Japanese Restaurant Cards - Jax Lowell's Against the Grain has a Japanese restaurant message - Thomas Viehof has posted a Japanese restaurant message at http://members.aol.com/zoeliak/japanese.htm Sue Newell [log in to unmask]