Eating my way through the Italian Coast

This summer, I was fortunate enough to go abroad to the coast of Italy. The main issue that I faced before leaving was how I was going to have to deal with my allergies while I was gone. While I do not suffer from celiac disease, I still have allergies that I have to deal with that include gluten and dairy. I had to dive into a lot of research before I left but what I took with me, helped me though the next five weeks of my life and hopefully can help people who want to go abroad with their allergies as well.

A recent article produced by The Salt, discussed how in a majority of European countries, food allergies are taken quite a bit more seriously than in the US. A main point brought up is because people take the time to ask about a range of allergies. In most countries, Italy specifically, have been aware of food allergies for a lot longer than the States has. Around five years ago, the EU passed a regulation requiring food prepares to list all fourteen food allergies from peanuts, down to seafood. The FDA on the other hand only requires eight of the fourteen to be acknowledged. Since it is not mandatory by the government in the States, it is usually left up to the restaurants to decide if they want to list potential allergies or not.

Some background about food allergies in Europe is that way before the modern world understood what celiac was, Italy in specific was ahead of the game. “Celiac disease has been diagnosed far longer in Europe than in the United States (glutenfreeliving.com).” For many centuries, Italians used alternative flours like chickpea and chestnuts to produce different breads and pasta. “In the nineteenth century, an Italian agronomist noted about Tuscany that “the fruit of the chestnut tree is practically the sole subsistence of our highlanders. And in the twentieth century, Adam Maurizio, who wrote a seminal book on the history of edible vegetables in 1932, discussed chestnut trees as being available not just for the fruit of the tree, but also for making into bread when grinding that fruit into flour” (legalnomads.com). While early Italians might not have necessarily realized what celiac disease was, dining alternatives have always been important to the culture.

While doing my research I also came across some more interesting facts. Italian law requires that hospitals, schools, and public places offer gluten-free food. Celiac actually get a state subsidy of 135 euros in order to help compensate the cost of gluten-free food. One thing that hasn’t changed even internationally is that it is very pricy for people to have a gluten-free lifestyle. The biggest shock to me while being abroad was how well Italians accommodates individuals having this intolerance. I would get teased a lot for not being the easiest person to go out to eat with at home and it has even gotten to a point where I get asked if I do this for fun and to lose weight or if I am actually allergic. In Italy, it is a completely different mindset. Italians love to eat and enjoy the meal. Italians also love sit down to have a big lunch and socialize. When the celiac try to sit down and enjoy a meal, they can’t because they are constantly worried that they may get sick. “For someone who can’t go out with their friends or to a work meeting at a restaurant, it’s a very big

problem, psychologically and socially” (legalnomads.com). In Italy, food and culture are so closely tied together, the Italians actively work to include everyone at the table.

When I was abroad it was very easy for me to request no gluten but it wasn’t as simple with dairy. I tended to stay away from anything that had cheese in it just to avoid the stomach issues.

If I wanted to eat pasta, I would make sure to point to the gluten-free word on the menu and say it to the waiter so they knew. If I wanted something else I would just confirm in Italian that it had no gluten or dairy in it. They would take it so serious as to bring me out separate plates from everyone else as well as to inform me how they prepared the meal so I was fully aware.

It is important for people going abroad to be aware of the difference in the States vs. the EU. It is a lot easier for us despite what a lot of people believe and it is important to keep making other people as aware as possible. Hopefully by discussion and informing others, it will lead to a greater change here in the US.

Photo by: Emily Banaitis