Elizabethanne
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- I plan to walk in September (2015)
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I too have allergies but in 2011, didn't think I had an option but to eat what ever was available. I'm lucky that food allergies aren't as worrying to me as my many allergies to medications. I have anaphylaxis, but to be prepared for the unforeseen with that, I google translated English to all languages whilst overseas, including stopovers. I printed it, then had it laminated. I felt that at least if there was a life threatening incident then at least language would not complicate it more. You might like to do something similar re: foods.I fly out from Melbourne and on 20 September and start walking on the 23rd from St Jean and all prepared gear wise and body wise, but have put off and put off asking this question. Whenever I travel it is the bit I dread - however I always manage to eat well. But it is the question I dread asking. Is there anyone out there who has walked the camino with allergies to onion, garlic and gluten. I believe that I will be able to cook for myself in some of the albergues - is this possible? I have some Spanish vocab and can speak simple sentences especially re my food.
I agree with Tincatinker, onions and garlic are very much part of every dish. Even if you stay at a place with a vegetarian communal meal it will be hard to get them to separate them from the preparation of the food. Just ask them to and they will no doubt respond to your request. Preparing your own meal has and is becoming more and more difficult along the Camino because of the disrespect pilgrims have shown for the kitchens and the kitchen equipment. I'm not an expert on gluten but again pasta is a mainstay of most pilgrim meals, you can always ask for fried potatoes and eggs as a main course or a tortilla, I suppose and avoid all of that.Hi @Elizabethanne - Onions, garlic and wheat are pretty ubiquitous to Spanish cuisine so be careful. Even a little Spanish and some pre-printed cards will undoubtably help. Some Albergues have kitchen facilities and some even have pots and pans. The municipal Albergues in Galicia are notorious for having excellent kitchens bare of utensils. Both Brierley's guide-book and the Gronze website list Albergue facilities so you might want to do some research there.
Good luck and Buen Camino
I'm not an expert on gluten but again pasta is a mainstay of most pilgrim meals, you can always ask for fried potatoes and eggs as a main course or a tortilla, I suppose and avoid all of that.
I don't want to sound sarcastic or negative but what does that accomplish other than tell your host I don't want to eat your food.Remember this phrase in spanish: "soy alergica al ajo, la cebolla y al gluten".
Ajo = garlic
Cebolla = onion
I don't want to sound sarcastic or negative but what does that accomplish other than tell your host I don't want to eat your food.
I think a kind request in Spanish about the food allergy would be much more appreciated!
Yes, I get that, trust me. But it doesn't mean much to a cafe/bar owner who already has his food set out on the counter as tapas or pinxos for the daily crowd to consume.Uh? The phrase I posted means literally "I am allergic to garlic, onion and gluten".
It should always have onions in my book. That is what you fry up first to give flavor to the oil the potatoes will then be fried. Yum!The "tortilla de patatas" (potato omelette) is indeed a mainstay of spanish cuisine, but be aware that it can also have onions. (In fact, one perennial controversy among spanish foodies is whether it's better with or without them). So, if you are going to ask for a tortilla, don't forget to ask for it "sin cebolla".
I don't get it. The phrase suggested by Caminofacil is just fine. It's the essence of something that can be stuck in the middle of niceties, such as " Lo siento, tenga alergias al ajo, cebolla y gluten. Tiene algo en el menu que no tenga estos ingredientes?" Surely the person at the bar can point to the pinxos, bocadillos, salads, etc that do not contain any of these. Harder to find yes, rude?, no.Yes, I get that, trust me. But it doesn't mean much to a cafe/bar owner who already has his food set out on the counter as tapas or pinxos for the daily crowd to consume.
I am deeply sympathetic to people with food allergies, eating in Spain has to be a major pain in the ass.
Fortunately or unfortunately there is lots of stuff preserved in bags and in towns with tiendras one can find the fixings for salads and what not.
Are you pre booking your accommodation?Yep Orisson is one of the places giving options. I figured it was day one so I would bring some gluten free bread from home, but they had it sorted
Are you pre booking your accommodation?
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