Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Kirin Hard Cidre tests negative for gluten

I'm pretty much a beer-only guy when it comes to drinking, so going gluten-free presented a challenge.  However, when I noticed Kirin's Hard Cidre (キリン ハードシードル) on the shelves at a local supermarket, I felt a slight sense of relief.  I've never been much into ciders, but I figured I'd give it a go.  Judging from the ingredients listed on the label, I was pretty sure this stuff would test negative, but I thought I might as well check for cross-contamination or something like that.

Well, to make a long story short, my test didn't detect any gluten whatsoever.  Hooray!  As far as the taste goes... again, I've never been much into ciders, so I can't really compare it to anything else.  Kirin says it's a dry cider, and I'd have to agree with that.  The first one goes down pretty easily, but halfway into the second one, my mouth starts doing a tspt tspt kind of thing.  Not sour per se, just tart.

So from there, I decided to mix it 50/50 with Asahi Dry Zero non-alcohol "beer" (see my post here), and I was rather satisfied with the results.  A 50/50 mix of lager and cider is called a snakebite, so I'm going to call this a fakebite.  Seems like a nice summer drink.  The Hard Cidre has an alcohol content of 4.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), so mix that with the Dry Zero and you've got a pretty light drink, good for a barbecue or the beach!

A 290ml (9.8 fluid ounces US) bottle of Hard Cidre runs less than ¥200.  Let's hope Kirin doesn't pull it off the market anytime soon.

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Corona Extra appears to be gluten-free

I recently ordered some more Gluten-in-Food home testing kits, and since I'd read that Corona Extra beer had tested negative for gluten (here, here and here), I wanted to see for myself.  I wanted to see whether I could duplicate those results.

I bought a bottle of Corona Extra from Yamaya (they seem to have some of the best prices, as well as free shipping on orders over 3000 yen).  As soon as I got home, I opened the bottle with great enthusiasm and proceeded with the test. 

When reading the results with Imutest's gluten testing kits, there is a steady pink control spot on the right (C), and a variable pink test spot on the left (T). The gluten content of the substance can be estimated based on the intensity of the test spot.


In this case, this glorious case, no test spot is visible, which indicates that gluten is not present in the test sample.  Hooray!

As a layman, I don't know why Corona consistently tests negative for gluten.  I have read that it contains small amounts of the enzyme papain.  Maybe that has something to do with it.

Disclaimer: although I have used this testing kit many times, and am quite confident that I conducted the test properly, I must point out that this is a non-scientific test, performed in my kitchen, and the results in no way constitute any form of medical advice.

That being said, although Corona has never been among my favorites, it's safe to say that I'll be ordering it a lot more often in the future!

If you're interested in the gluten content of Japanese beer, please check out some of my other posts.  I've tested and posted about Asahi Super Dry, Kirin Nodogoshi and Asahi Dry Zero, and will be posting many more.

Kanpai!

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Le Veneziane gluten-free pasta

A few months ago, I joined a GF group on facebook, and someone had posted a picture of Le Veneziane gluten-free spaghetti, made from corn.  So far, I had only tried rice-based pastas that I had ordered from iHerb, and I wasn't quite satisfied with the texture.  They seemed to go from chewy to mushy, with no sweet spot in between.

Today, we went to our local Bikkuri Saketen, which carries lots of imported food and beverages (they're part of the Yamaya chain).  Last week, I had asked the manager about Le Veneziane, but he said the local distributor didn't carry it.  I was pleasantly surprised today when he showed me the new addition to the pasta section:



Well, I just had some for dinner (sorry I didn't remember to take a picture), and it was surprisingly good!  It was much better than the other pastas I'd tried.  I did need to cook it for a few extra minutes, though.

Also, this Top Valu Best Price meat sauce from The Big (Aeon group), doesn't appear to contain any gluten.  Mixed with a can of chopped tomatoes and some extra spices and ground beef/pork, it makes a pretty good sauce.  Just make sure you get the one that says "Best Price" and double-check the ingredients.  Oh, and leave a comment if you'd like the recipe.



It's nice to have spaghetti Bolognaise back on the menu!

Friday, March 10, 2017

Gluten-Free Soy Sauce


チビキ 小麦を
使わない丸大豆醤油
photo courtesy of
Amazon Japan
Soy sauce is such an important part of Japanese cooking (and dining) that one of the first things I searched for when I made "the switch" was gluten-free soy sauce.  Fortunately, it didn't take long to find it.  It's called チビキ 小麦を使わない丸大豆醤油, or Ichibiki (brand) no-wheat-used soy sauce.  Notice that this product is wheat-free, not gluten-free.  I bought it on Amazon, and it's not terribly expensive.  The taste is a little different from standard soy sauce, and seems a little saltier (if that's even possible), but it does the job.

I keep one or two of these 33ml sauce bottles in my car, and bring them to Hamazushi when I take my daughter there.  By the way, you can request an allergen printout at the register, and it will tell you which of their products contain wheat (or other allergens) and which are possible cross-contamination risks.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find that list online.  Also, the copy that I have is 4-5 pages long, and it's a chart with the most common allergens.  Next time I go, I may ask if they can print out a chart that only shows the products containing wheat.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Kirin Nodogoshi Nama: Gluten-Free!

After reading the ingredients label on pretty much every brand and variety of beer (and beer-type beverages like happoshu and dai-san beer), I found three drinks that listed no barley or malt in the ingredients: Kirin Nodogoshi Nama (のどごし生), Sapporo Draft One, and Suntory Jokki Nama (ジョッキ生).  It's interesting that Asahi doesn't offer anything in this category (Asahi Clear contains barley).  Of the three, Nodogoshi is by far the most popular.  In fact, it's apparently the top-selling third-genre beer in Japan.  Rather than barley malt, Kirin uses soybeans to make Nodogoshi.
Looking at the ingredients (hops, sugar, soybean protein, yeast extract), I assumed that Nodogoshi would test negative for gluten (i.e. would be gluten-free), but I wanted to be as sure as I could.  "Yeast extract" sounds a little iffy, doesn't it?  I had a few Gluten-in-Food testing kits left (see my earlier posts), so I decided to give it a shot.  Each test costs me about US$18, so I have to choose wisely.  Considering Nodogoshi's availability and popularity, it made sense to choose it over the other two.

As you can see, the test did not detect any gluten!  It would seem that Nodogoshi is a safe beer alternative.  Unfortunately, you won't find it in any bars or restaurants, so if you're a beer-only drinker like me, you'll have to find a way to BYOB.  I've asked at a few local places, explaining that I have an "allergy", and they've all been cooperative about it.  I always ask first, and I always insist on paying a corkage fee (a BYOB charge).  Of course, your mileage may vary.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Costco Hot Dogs

My previous two trips to Costco, I used a knife and fork to eat my food court hot dog, but last time, I brought some disposable chopsticks (waribashi), and when I ordered my so-se-ji dake hot dog, I also asked for a paper plate (kamizara).  They were very cooperative.

For ketchup and mustard, I also brought along some little paper bento cups that look like muffin pan liners.

Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

Late last year (2016), my girlfriend Tomoko brought me a surprise from Costco: pão de queijo, or Brazilian cheese rolls.  They're little golf-ball-sized rolls that you heat up in your oven.  Very cheesy, and gluten-free, too.  Pretty tasty, I might add.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of the ingredients on the package, and the Baker John website doesn't provide them, but apparently, they're made with tapioca flour/starch rather than wheat flour.

Recently, I found a different brand of Pif Paf brand pão de queijo at my local Gyomu Super (one of my favorite stores in Japan).  I believe these were ¥298 per package.  They're a little different from the Baker John ones, in that they don't appear to be fully baked, and they take at least 30 minutes in the oven (I have a combination microwave-toaster oven).

They're both nice snacks when you're in the mood for something bready.  Here's a photo of the fully-baked Pif Paf rolls.  I cooked these for 35 minutes, then put them under the boiler for 5 minutes.  You can also pan-fry them (after they've been baked) for a crispier crust.

They're a bit soft (mochi-mochi) inside, so unfortunately, slicing them for mini-sandwiches isn't an option.  They do, however, go well with a fried egg and breakfast sausage.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Asahi Super Dry Beer: Not Quite Gluten-Free

I was holding out hope that Asahi Super Dry might test negative for gluten, as Corona apparently has, but no such luck.  It does, however appear to be very low in gluten, as evidenced by the very faint pink test spot on the left.


This bottle of Asahi Super Dry was purchased and tested (and later poured out) in Japan.  The testing kit is the Imutest Gluten-in-Food test.  Imutest claims it is sensitive down to 1-2 ppm for gluten, including hordein, the gluten present in barley.  The folks at Imutest unofficially estimated that the gluten content of this beer is “probably less than 1 ppm,” provided I conducted the test properly.
Less than 1 ppm… that’s pretty low, considering that “gluten-free” beers generally need to be 20 ppm or less.  Maybe I can have one or two of these once in a while.

HOWEVER, after some research and discussion, I've learned that this style of gluten testing, known as a sandwich ELISA test, is not as reliable as a competitive ELISA test, which must be done in a laboratory.  I was told by Emily at Emport (US distributors of the GlutenTox testing kits) that "malting and fermenting can break apart the gluten protein in unpredictable ways."  The folks at Imutest also advised me against using their testing kits to estimate gluten content.

THEREFORE, these test results may or may not be accurate.  Perhaps if enough people test this beer, we'll get a better idea of its gluten content.  If you do decide to test it, please leave a comment here.

NOTE: This test result was for Asahi Super Dry that was produced in Japan.  Versions of Super Dry brewed elsewhere may or may not provide the same result, due to differences in ingredients, filtering, etc.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Asahi Dry Zero Tests Gluten-Free

One of the hardest parts of going gluten-free was giving up beer.  I looked into various options, and I found that there are a few non-alcoholic “beers” that don’t list barley or malt as ingredients: Asahi Dry Zero, Sapporo+, and Kirin Perfect Free.  Of these, Asahi Dry Zero is the most popular, and it’s available at many bars and restaurants (including my favorite karaoke box).

I also discovered Polos Spirytus Rektyfikowany (スピリタス in Japanese), which is a Polish spirit similar to Everclear.  It’s 192 proof (96% alcohol).  If I want to go out and have a few beers, I fill some little soy sauce bottles with Spirytus and put them in my pocket.  One 13ml bottle, mixed with one 350ml can or bottle of non-alcoholic beer, will produce a mixture with an alcohol content (by volume) of about 3.5% (as opposed to 5% for a standard Japanese beer).  Of course, I can add more if I want to.  I even found a neat little page that will do the calculations for me, so I know how much I’m drinking.

After a little more research, I discovered a useful blog at lowgluten.org.  It’s written by a German guy named Steffen, who tests various beers for gluten content.  It inspired me to test a few myself, and Asahi Dry Zero was the first one that I tested.  I used the Gluten-in-Food test kit from Imutest, which claims to detect gluten levels down to 20 ppm in food, and down to an amazing 1-2 ppm in liquids.

The test did not detect any gluten.  Hooray!  I plan to test several more beers and related beverages, like Kirin Hard Cidre.  I’ve also heard that the original Nodogoshi is made with soy protein, rather than barley, so that’s next on my list.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

McDonald's

Rice "buns"
I recently took my daughter to McDonald’s.  I’d been gluten-free for only about a month, and I’d read that their french fries are cooked in a separate fryer from breaded items like Chicken McNuggets, so I figured those would be safe.  In my jacket, I had also hidden a homemade bun made from rice flour.

I was planning to put a QP on one of these
When I ordered, the young woman at the register was very confused by my order.  I didn’t think it was a language barrier issue, because I can usually make myself understood, and my daughter (born and raised in Japan) was standing right next to me.  Anyway, the manager was summoned, and she told me I could in fact get sliced onions on the burger.
Onions?  I explained my situation again, and ordered my burger, with…
No bun. バンズぬき。banzu nuki.
I don’t need/want the bun. バンズいらない。 banzu iranai.
I can’t eat bread, so just the hamburger. パンを食べれないから、ハンバーガーだけ。 pan-o taberenai kara, hanbaagaa dake.
The manager took a moment to think, and then told me,
This is a hamburger restaurant.  If I don’t put it on a bun, it’s not a hamburger.
I was a little sad, a little shocked, and a little ticked off.  We left, and haven’t been back since.  I suspect that another manager might’ve been a little more open-minded.  I also probably could’ve explained myself a little better (パンを食べれない literally means I can’t eat bread, but in everyday Japanese, I think it’s usually taken to mean I don’t like bread).  And finally, special requests just seem to be frowned upon in Japanese society.  Anyone who’s lived in Japan, even for a short while, has probably heard the phrase 出る釘は打たれる, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.  Instead of Yes, we can, you’re more likely to hear No, we can’t.

I’ll probably go back to McDonald’s someday and try again, but it won’t be anytime soon, and definitely not until they figure out how to get their Android app to work on all phones.  It doesn’t even start on my phone!  In the meantime, I’ll go to Mos Burger (read about my experience with the “allergy burger” in a future post) Hamazushi (but I’ll bring my own soy sauce). 
I should mention that I have been to Costco twice, and haven’t had a problem (just a few quizzical looks) when ordering a hot dog without a bun.  I’ve also brought homemade GF bread to eat it with.  Next time, I might try some cornbread.

Monday, February 6, 2017

Here We Go!

Welcome to Gluten-Free in Japan!  I'm an American man in my late 40s.  I've been in Japan since 1999, and decided to go GF for medical reasons in November, 2016.  And wow, is it a challenge.

There's no shortage of information about GF lifestyles on the Web, but there's not a whole lot out there for those of us in Japan, and only a tiny fraction of that information is in English.  I've created this blog to share my successes and failures, discoveries and humiliations, and every experience in between, in hopes that they'll help someone else down the road.

I like to cook, and I like beer, so my posts are probably going to gravitate towards those topics.  Anyway, thanks for visiting, and I hope you find something useful!

And thanks to Tomoko for her love and support. ❤