Eating in China with a food allergy or special diet

How do I tell a restaurant about my food allergy in Chinese?

Use the pattern 我对___过敏 (Wǒ duì ___ guòmǐn), “I am allergic to ___”: 我对花生过敏 means “I am allergic to peanuts.” Say it when you sit down, before anyone orders, then ask about each dish and ask staff to confirm with the kitchen. Because the person taking your order is rarely the cook, show the same words in writing so they can be passed on exactly.

1. Say it firstTell the server about your allergy as soon as you sit down, and show your written card.
2. Ask about each dishPoint at a dish and ask whether it contains your allergen. Ask what is in sauces, too: a dish name rarely lists them.
3. Ask them to check with the kitchenAsk staff to confirm the dish doesn’t contain those ingredients, and say that it is very important to you.
4. Watch for hesitationIf the answer is vague, choose a simpler dish, such as plain steamed vegetables or rice, or eat somewhere else.
5. Check what arrivesLook at the dish before you eat. Visible peanuts, sesame seeds or shrimp mean the message didn’t get through.

Practice these with audio in the allergies and dietary needs lesson; tones matter, so it helps to have heard them before you need them.

Why should I carry an allergy card in Chinese?

Restaurants are loud, staff are busy, and a mispronounced tone can turn a word into something else. A card in Chinese characters removes the guesswork: the server can read it, photograph it or carry it to the kitchen. The US CDC advises travelers to carry a card in the local language listing serious allergies, and the allergy charity FARE recommends “chef cards” in the language of the country you’re visiting (CDC, FARE).

A good card names the allergen, says how serious a reaction is, and covers cross-contact (shared woks, oil and utensils). Make one with our Chinese allergy card; the Chinese for Travel app also keeps an allergy card on your phone to show staff. Print a spare copy in case your phone dies.

• What you can’t eat, named specifically (peanuts, not just “nuts”) and including oils, sauces and stocks.
• How serious it is, for example that even a small amount can make you very ill.
• Cross-contact: a request for a clean wok, fresh oil and clean utensils.
• A polite thank-you: a card that sounds like a request rather than an order gets read.

Which hidden ingredients should I ask about in Chinese food?

Most surprises come from oils, stocks and sauces rather than from the main ingredient. These are the ones worth naming on your card or asking about by name.

If you have a peanut allergy, ask your allergist before the trip whether you need to avoid peanut oil too, and ask the kitchen what oil it uses: 用什么油 (yòng shénme yóu).

How do I say I’m vegetarian in Chinese?

Say 我是素食者 (Wǒ shì sùshí zhě, “I am vegetarian”) or the everyday 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù). Both are understood, but a cook may still think a little minced pork for flavor, chicken stock or lard is fine in a “vegetable” dish. Add what you don’t eat: 我不吃肉 (wǒ bù chī ròu, “I don’t eat meat”), 不要高汤 (bú yào gāotāng, “no meat stock”), 不要猪油 (bú yào zhūyóu, “no lard”). For vegan, say 纯素 (chún sù) and add that you don’t eat eggs or dairy.

Several popular vegetable dishes traditionally include meat: mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) usually has minced pork, and fish-fragrant eggplant (鱼香茄子) has no fish but often has pork. Ask for them 不放肉 (bú fàng ròu, “without meat”).

Buddhist vegetarian restaurants (素食餐厅 sùshí cāntīng or 素菜馆 sùcàiguǎn), often near temples, are the easiest option. Many also avoid garlic, onion and other pungent plants for religious reasons, and their “mock meat” is often made from wheat gluten (面筋, miànjīn) or soy (China Vegans).

Can I find halal food in China?

Yes. Look for the characters 清真 (qīngzhēn, halal) on signs, often in green and frequently with Arabic script. Halal restaurants are found in most cities; many Lanzhou beef noodle shops (兰州牛肉面) are halal, as are many restaurants serving northwestern dishes such as lamb skewers and hand-pulled noodles. Outside 清真 restaurants, pork and lard are common, so say 我不吃猪肉 (“I don’t eat pork”) and ask about lard and stock.

Is it possible to eat gluten-free in China?

It is possible but takes care. The word for gluten, 麸质 (fūzhì), isn’t widely known in restaurants, so name wheat (小麦, xiǎomài) and soy sauce instead. Soy sauce is in a huge range of dishes and is usually brewed with wheat, so it is the main ingredient to watch. Noodles, dumplings, buns and many batters are wheat-based, and Buddhist mock meat is often pure gluten.

Plain rice, steamed fish or vegetables cooked with just oil and salt, and rice porridge (粥, zhōu) are usually the safest starting points. Many coeliac travelers pack small bottles or sachets of gluten-free soy sauce. If you need to avoid cross-contact strictly, say so on your card.

Do packaged foods in China list allergens?

Not reliably yet. China’s revised labeling standard for prepackaged food, GB 7718-2025, makes allergen labeling mandatory for eight groups, including cereals containing gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, soy, fish and crustaceans, but it only takes effect on March 16, 2027 (ChemLinked summary). As of October 2026, a snack without an allergen statement may still contain your allergen, so read the ingredient list (配料, pèiliào) or ask.

What should I do if I have an allergic reaction in China?

Use the emergency medication your doctor prescribed, as they told you to, and call 120 for an ambulance or ask someone nearby to call. Say 我过敏了 (“I am having an allergic reaction”) and show your card. Hotel and restaurant staff can call for you and give the address in Chinese.

Prepare before you leave. Bring enough of your own prescribed emergency medication for the whole trip, plus spares, in your carry-on: you may not find the same product in mainland China. Medicines for personal use in reasonable quantities are allowed through customs (Shanghai government); carry your prescription or a doctor’s letter. The pharmacy and hospital guide explains the rules, and emergency numbers has what to say on the phone.

The illness and doctor lesson and the basic emergency lesson cover what to say next.