Spanish for coeliacs
Gluten Free in Spanish: Coeliac Phrases for Spain and Latin America
“Sin gluten” and “soy celíaco” are the start. Here is how to ask about shared fryers, breadcrumbs and soy sauce in Spanish, the label words to look for, and how gluten-free eating differs between Spain and Mexico.
Updated
“Gluten free” in Spanish is sin gluten (seen GLOO-ten). If you have coeliac disease, say soy celíaco (a man) or soy celíaca (a woman), pronounced seh-LEE-ah-koh. In Spain and Argentina the word celíaco is widely known, and saying it tells a waiter far more than “no gluten” does: it means crumbs and shared fryers matter too.
The phrases
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I have coeliac disease. | Soy celíaco / celíaca. |
| I can’t eat gluten, not even a little. | No puedo comer gluten, ni siquiera un poco. |
| Do you have gluten-free options? | ¿Tienen opciones sin gluten? |
| Is this dish gluten-free? | ¿Este plato es sin gluten? |
| Are the chips fried in the same fryer as battered food? | ¿Las patatas se fríen en la misma freidora que los rebozados? |
| Can you use a clean pan and clean utensils? | ¿Pueden usar una sartén y utensilios limpios? |
| Is there flour in the sauce? | ¿La salsa lleva harina? |
| Is there soy sauce in it? | ¿Lleva salsa de soja? (Mexico: salsa de soya) |
In Mexico and much of Latin America, chips are papas fritas rather than patatas fritas, and empanizado is more common than empanado for breaded food.
Words that mean gluten
| On a menu or label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| trigo | wheat |
| cebada | barley |
| centeno | rye |
| avena | oats |
| espelta | spelt |
| harina | flour (usually wheat unless it says otherwise) |
| pan rallado | breadcrumbs |
| rebozado | battered |
| empanado, empanizado | breaded |
| malta | malt |
| sémola | semolina |
| cerveza | beer |
| puede contener trazas de gluten | may contain traces of gluten |
Spain: easier than you might expect
Spain has an active coeliac association, FACE, which runs a restaurant accreditation scheme and a crossed-grain-ear symbol (espiga barrada) for certified products. Supermarkets such as Mercadona label gluten-free products clearly, and sin gluten sections are common.
Watch for: croquetas (béchamel and breadcrumbs), pescaíto frito and anything rebozado (battered fish shares fryers), flamenquín and san jacobos (breaded), and stews thickened with flour.
Mexico: corn helps, but check
A lot of Mexican food is built on corn, which is naturally gluten-free: corn tortillas, tamales, tostadas, pozole. The problems are flour tortillas in the north, beer in marinades, soy or Maggi seasoning in sauces, and shared griddles (comales) where flour tortillas are heated next to corn ones. Ask: ¿Las tortillas son de maíz? (Are the tortillas corn?) and ¿Las calientan en el mismo comal? (Do you heat them on the same griddle?)
Common questions
How do you say “gluten free” in Spanish?
Sin gluten. On packaging you may also see apto para celíacos (suitable for coeliacs).
How do you say “celiac” in Spanish?
Celíaco for a man, celíaca for a woman. The disease is celiaquía or enfermedad celíaca. You will also see the spelling celiaco without the accent, especially in Latin America.
What does “gluten” mean in Spanish?
The word is the same: el gluten. Spanish speakers who search “¿qué es el gluten?” are asking what it is, and the answer is the same as in English: a protein in wheat, barley and rye.
This page helps you communicate about a food allergy. It is not medical advice: follow your allergist’s plan, and always confirm ingredients with the restaurant or the label.
Keep reading
Allergies in Spanish: What to Say at a Restaurant in Spain and Latin America
How to say “I’m allergic to nuts” in Spanish, the words for every common allergen (they change between Spain and Mexico), the questions waiters ask back, and what to say in an emergency.
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Traveling to Spain with Food Allergies: Tapas, Almonds and Seafood
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Traveling to Mexico with Food Allergies: Peanuts, Shellfish and Resorts
Where peanuts, sesame, shellfish and dairy hide in Mexican food, why insects matter for shellfish allergies, how to handle all-inclusive resorts, and the Mexican Spanish to use.