Spain travel guide
Traveling to Spain with Food Allergies: Tapas, Almonds and Seafood
Spanish restaurants must show the 14 EU allergens, and many keep a “carta de alérgenos.” Where almonds, hazelnuts, seafood and gluten hide in Spanish food, how tapas bars handle fryers, and the Spain-specific words to use.
Updated
Spain is used to food allergies. Most restaurants keep a carta de alérgenos (allergen menu) or mark the 14 EU allergens with small icons on the menu, and the national coeliac association is one of the most active in Europe. The challenges are almonds and hazelnuts in sauces and sweets, seafood stock in rice dishes, and shared fryers in tapas bars.
Where allergens hide in Spanish food
| Dish or food | What’s in it |
|---|---|
| Romesco, salvitxada (Catalonia) | Almonds and hazelnuts, ground into the sauce |
| Picada (Catalan cooking) | Almonds or hazelnuts, garlic and bread pounded into stews at the end |
| Ajo blanco (Andalusia) | Cold soup made with almonds |
| Turrón, mazapán, polvorones | Almonds; Christmas sweets sold year-round in tourist areas |
| Paella, arroz negro, fideuà | Seafood stock even when the topping is chicken; squid ink |
| Croquetas | Béchamel (milk, wheat) and breadcrumbs, often with ham, cod or prawns |
| Pescaíto frito, calamares | Battered seafood, usually in a shared fryer |
| Gazpacho, salmorejo | Bread is often blended in (wheat) |
| Tortilla española | Egg and potato; some bars add onion |
Tapas bars
Tapas bars move fast, and a lot of food is cooked in one fryer: patatas bravas, croquetas, calamares, pimientos de padrón. If you have a fish, shellfish or gluten allergy, the fries are the thing to ask about: ¿Las patatas se fríen en la misma freidora que el pescado? (Are the chips fried in the same fryer as the fish?)
Bars in Spain often have the allergen chart pinned up near the till or in a folder. Asking ¿Tienen la carta de alérgenos? is normal.
Words to use in Spain
Spain uses some different food words from Latin America. In Spain say:
- cacahuete for peanut (not cacahuate or maní)
- frutos secos for nuts
- gambas and langostinos for prawns
- marisco for shellfish
- soja for soy
Our Spanish allergy phrases page has the full list, and gluten free in Spanish covers coeliac phrases.
Medicine and emergencies
- Emergency number: 112.
- Adrenaline auto-injectors are sold in Spanish pharmacies with a prescription. EpiPen is sold in Spain under the name Altellus; Jext is also available.
- Pharmacies (green cross) post the nearest farmacia de guardia (on-duty pharmacy) on the door.
Common questions
Is Spain good for coeliacs?
Very. Many restaurants mark gluten-free dishes, supermarkets have sin gluten ranges, and the coeliac association FACE certifies products and restaurants. Fryers and breadcrumbs are the main risk.
Do Spanish restaurants have to show allergens?
Yes. Spain applies the EU rule requiring information on 14 allergens, and Spanish restaurants commonly show them as icons next to each dish or in a separate carta de alérgenos.
Is it safe to eat paella with a shellfish allergy?
Only if the restaurant confirms the stock is not made from seafood. Paella valenciana (chicken, rabbit, beans) is traditionally made without seafood, but many restaurants use a shared seafood stock for all their rice dishes.
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.
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.
Spanish Food Allergy Card
Create a bilingual English-Spanish food allergy card for safe dining in Spain, Mexico, and throughout Latin America.
Traveling in Europe with Food Allergies: The 14 Allergens and How to Use Them
Every restaurant in the EU and UK must tell you which of 14 allergens are in your food. Here is the list, how it differs from the US top 9, how to ask for allergen information in each language, and what to know about epinephrine in Europe.