Food allergies and dietary restrictions

The severity reality

Severe food allergies are far less commonly known about in China than in Western countries. Restaurant staff, particularly outside tier-1 cities, may not understand 'allergic' as a medical category. A polite 'I am allergic to X' may be interpreted as 'I don't like X' and acted on inconsistently.

If you have a severe allergy (anaphylaxis), this is genuinely high-stakes in China. Plan accordingly.

Translation card approach

The single most useful tool: a printed card in Chinese explaining your allergy clearly, including:

The specific ingredients to avoid (in Chinese).
The medical consequence ('I will need hospital treatment if I eat this').
The allowable alternatives.
A simple request: 'please tell the kitchen and confirm before serving.'

Have a Chinese friend or a translator service write this; do not rely on Google Translate alone for a medical document.

Common hidden ingredients

Peanut oil — used as a cooking oil throughout Chinese cuisine. Many stir-fries contain it.
Sesame oil and sesame paste — endemic in noodle and dumpling sauces.
Soy — universal.
Wheat / gluten — most noodles are wheat; many soy sauces contain wheat. Rice noodles (米粉) are gluten-free.
Egg — in many dumplings, mantou doughs, fried-rice dishes.
Shellfish — fish sauce, dried shrimp, oyster sauce show up in unexpected places (some Cantonese 'vegetarian' dishes contain oyster sauce).
MSG (味精, monosodium glutamate) — traditional in restaurant cooking. Many people are sensitive but few are allergic; if you avoid MSG, ask 不要味精.
Pork lard — used as a cooking fat in some non-Muslim restaurants, including some 'vegetarian' contexts.

Severe allergies

For nut, shellfish, severe wheat (coeliac) or severe egg allergies:

Carry an epipen (auto-injector); confirm you have replacement supply for trip duration.
Eat in international-brand hotels in cities for higher predictability.
Avoid casual buffet and cafeteria settings.
Have a Chinese-speaking friend phone ahead to a restaurant rather than show up cold.
The international clinics in tier-1 cities can manage anaphylaxis; emergency numbers are 120 for ambulance.

Coeliac

Coeliac disease (severe gluten reaction) is genuinely difficult in mainland China. Most regional cuisines lean wheat-heavy. Strategies: - Rice-noodle-based dishes (Hunan, Yunnan, Guangxi米粉). - Rice-based meals (Cantonese clay pot, southern home cooking). - Avoid soy sauce that contains wheat; carry your own gluten-free tamari. - Beware of dumplings, mantou, jiaozi, baozi — all wheat.

Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance is the majority condition in adult Chinese populations, so traditional Chinese cuisine is dairy-light by default. Modern Chinese coffee, dessert and Hong Kong-style restaurants have plenty of dairy, however. Most coffee shops have soy / oat / almond alternatives.