hello all...not only am I a recently diagnosed celiac (about 2 1/2 months now) but I am studying abroad in italy this fall (florence to be exact!) I have read that italians and irish have celiac the most, but does anyone have any information on how to survive there for 4 months? my stay will be in Florence for most of the time. How do I say that I am gluten free? Is it tough to be there amid all the pasta and bread?? any help would be great, thank you!

Hi,
My wife was researching a stay next year in Italy where i need to work fro a month, also near Florence.
http://www.celiactravel.com/gluten-free-holiday.html
http://www.domusalessandra.com/english/welcome.htm
lists a celiac guest house and links to other places and restaurants. I've not been to italy since I was diagnosed bust suspect it wont be that hard to get around and find places with gluten free meals.
Being more used to Japan where I carry my own special soy sauce, Italy may be easier.
My job there is working with figs and other fruit so I know I'll always have something to eat!
good luck
Ken

Hi my name is Matteo, I am Italian from Milan..... look, if u have a house and u cook by urself, u can find gluten free products in Pharmacy (Farmacia).. if u have to go out to eat... go on the restaurant on this this website. (i hope that u understand a little bit italian).. or let me know!!

http://www.celiachia.it/ristoratori/ristoratori.asp
http://www.celiachia.it/ristoratori/ristor...sp?idregione=16 (this is specific for Toscany)


ciao

grazie to the both of you! this helps me out SO MUCH...especially the handy gluten free cards that I can give to waiters, since I don't know how to tell them that I allergic in italian (matteo, if you know how to simply say that, that would greatly help!) this makes me going abroad seem less stressful! I am so grateful

Sure!! U can say that in different way!! so write down these;

sono celiaco.

sono intollerante al glutine or sono allergico al glutine
u can try also this phrase!

non posso mangiare niente fatto con la farina bianca di grano o cereali.

let me know ok? the sicrets it to make them examples ... like no pasta no pista no pane...ok?

if u like Prosciutto be careful! u can eat PROSCIUTTO CRUDO DI PARMA E IL GRAN BISCOTTO ROVAGNATI. about salami ..ask or see the ingredients before buy ..because the things white that are on the top could be FARINA

ciao and enjoy Italy

TEO

Hi Matteo,
Do you have some favorite gluten ree restaurants in Mila, Pharma, Firenze, Bra or Asti?
I have to work there next year for a month and looking for your opinion on good quality place to eat.
grazie
Ken in Hawaii

Look, give me some days and i will tell you the restaurant for Milan and Florence.

in the while i give you this restaurant where I use to go to eat and they know about our food problem and make my name!


RISTORANTE PIZZERIA MUSEUM
Viale certosa, 287
20151 - Milano - (MI) Italia

Tel. 02.38005793

ok?

ciao MATTEO

Hi Matteo,
molte grazie
Mia moglie e io saremmo lieti di averla a cena da noi il luglio 2008!
( I hope I said that right!) no parlo l'italiano
a piu tardi
ken

Hi Ken,

thanks for your invitation if I am in Italy I will be happy to eat with you and your wife.
I have problem to contact my aunt that lives in florence..because I am living in Texas right now (for 18 months)

I don t know if you like icecream... but in Italy we have the best icecream... so I will write you here some place in Milan where u try it. (remember to tell them that you are celiac ok?)


Gelateria 54

indirizzo: Via Canonica, 81
città: Milano (Mi)
Tel./Fax: 02.3491044
Persona/e di riferimento: Emiliano e Massimiliano Ginelli
Chiusura / Note: Chiuso il giovedì. Orario apertura ore 11-24.
Fornito di cono s. g.: sì



Gelateria Le Magie

indirizzo: Largo Zandonai, 3/m
città: Milano (MI)
Tel./Fax: 20145
Persona/e di riferimento: Santino Montemurro


Gelateria Pozzi 1895

indirizzo: P.zza Agrippa, 4
città: Milano (MI)
Tel./Fax: 02.89502973
Persona/e di riferimento: Matteo Carini Pozzi
Chiusura / Note: chiuso mar (in inv); aperto dalle 6,30 alle 00,30


Il Gelato Ecologico & Frozen yogurt Pelosca s.n.c.

indirizzo: Via Ravizza,5
città: Milano (Mi)
Tel./Fax: 02.48010917
Persona/e di riferimento: Cuomo Daniele
Chiusura / Note: chiuso il giovedì




As soon as I can I will give you the name of the restaurant in florence.

I was forgetting: If you want buy gluten free food in a supermarket in Italy and you don t want to go to the farmacy (where people use to go) the best one is COOP...they have a lot of products.

let me know if you don t understand something or if you have questions.
CIAO

MATTEO

Hi, I spent a month in Northern Italy with 2 of my friends. All of my meals were cooked for me by the family I was staying with so I'm not exactly sure where they got the pasta. they knew what celiacs was though and bought the pasta on their own and I never once got sick. At restaurants they knew what celiacs was as well and could help me pick out items that were OK.

The only advice I have is beware of the gelato(ice cream). I had no idea it had gluten in it and couldnt figure out why I was getting such major headaches all the time. Eventually we went to a different gelato place and they had huge signs up by certian flavors of ice cream that said NO GLUTEN. Then it all made sense and I felt much better. haha. hope you have fun.

Hi Matteo,
Thanks so much for the information. My wife wants to do two things while there, Drink asti spumonti in Asto and eat every ice cream type she can find! I also love ice creams of all types. What do you do in texas? You should visit here in Hawaii before you return!

I have to do some research on fig growing when i'm in Italy next year.
THanks again for the recomendations!
ciao
ken

Wow, Hawaii that could be a dream come true!!! I am working in Arlington, close to Dallas, for Italian company that make TANNING BEDS ... ( www.sportarredousa.com). it's interesting job , I am the Marketing manager..... but Texas is different from Europe!jejej

what do u do in Hawaii? are you original from there? if you want i can send you somegluten free food from Italy when my family will send to me!

Do you like wine? i can tell you a lot of place where you can go to taste it!

Ciao MATTEO

Hi Matteo,
Hawaii is very nice but I am afraid there is no market here for your tanning beds. We have sun and perfect weather almost everyday in my part of Hawaii in Kona. I have been here full time for 15 years and part time for 15 years before that. Originally I am from Chicago but traveled around the world as a news photographer. Now I am a researcher for tropical fruit and work for University of Hawaii on many projects. (www.hawaiifruit.net) I also have a place in Japan for more than 20 years.

One of my new projects is to work with figs so when I go to your country next year I will visit many farms and some factories where they make fig products. Sometimes I buy fig products from Italy to show my students and other researchers. My job is to help farmers make more money so they can stay in agriculture.


Well if you are back in Italy when we are there a year from now I will look forward to our drinking wine together!

ciao!
ken

Hi Matteo,

I have never responded to a blog on this website before so I hope this works! I am a student who will be studying abroad this Spring in Rome. I was wondering if you knew of any places where I can go to eat Gluten free. I see how much of a help you have been to everybody else on this blog so I thought I would try my luck. Thanks!

~Kristen

My understanding is that Italy is about the best place to be if you can't have gluten. All children are tested for celiac, so the level of diagnosis and awareness is high.

If you search past threads, you can find a number discussing Italy.

Enjoy Florence. It is a beautiful city.

Hi Kristen

I am really happy that you could to a abroad experience for ur study in Italy...I did the same but in Spain... the most important year of my life.

I can tell you to see this web page when you understand a little bit italian
http://www.aiclazio.it/

in the while I made a research for you....

Albella Salute e Gourmet

indirizzo: Via Igea, 2
città: Roma (RM)
cap 00135
Tel./Fax: 06.35497275
Persona/e di riferimento: Maria Fermanelli
Chiusura / Note: prenotare per la cena; chiuso dom pom e lunedi
Prezzo min/max:
Indirizzo web: www.albella.it , www.altropane.it


Ristorante
Alex Cafè

indirizzo: Via Vittorio Veneto,20
città: Roma (RM)
cap 00187
Tel./Fax: 06.4823618
Persona/e di riferimento: Ciafrei Fabrizio
Chiusura / Note: chiuso mar
Prezzo min/max: 30/50€



Ristorante
Cocktail Bar Insomnia


indirizzo: Via Portuense,469
città: Roma (RM)
cap 00149
Tel./Fax: 06.55389376 - 3338403395
Persona/e di riferimento: Mauro Piacentini
Chiusura / Note: domenica - aperti solo per cena
Prezzo min/max: 20/35€
Indirizzo web: www.insomnia.roma.it


L'8 Pub


indirizzo: Via M. Ghetaldi,98
città: Roma (RM)
cap 00100
Tel./Fax: 328.4683338
Persona/e di riferimento: Roberto Mantarro
Chiusura / Note: solo panini e birra s.g.


I will write you something more....as soon as I can

I hope that this information could help you.,.... if you need something more just let me know

I will be happy to help you!

Ciao MATTEO

Anyone in Rome now or soon? I have heard about some products there that are supposed to be wonderful from a speciality grocery called "Elite".
I would love to try them....

mamaw

Hi, I just came back from Rome today and i just wanted to say that it was surprisingly easier than I thought. They're pretty celiac aware as children get tested pre-school. I eat at Alex's cafe on my first and last night and eat Tagliatelle which was good. I didn't manage to find a gluten-free pizza which was a shame.

I actually found it easier to eat in Rome than London, Tokyo or Auckland.

Hope this helps if anyone is considering a holiday to Italy.

I just want to add something about being a celiac in Italy. I was told by the AIC (the Italian Association of Celiacs) NOT to order coffee in any bar or restuarant because they most probably use the same coffee machine for "orzo" coffee (a fake kind of coffee made from grains). I'm not a Italian coffee drinker but when I asked in some hotels I was told that they use the same machine for both.

Re: ice cream --- all geleterie have been very understanding about celiac disease, my only concern is that when they use the same pallet for a cone and then for my cup, isn't that risky? Some places actually took out a clean scoop and took the ice cream from the back of the bin which hadn't already been used and others looked at me funny when I asked them to rinse the scoop first.

Also want to mention to the travellers that gorgonzola cheese (real certified DOC ones) are gluten-free! (unlike blue or french roquefort that may have a bread starter). Bonus with that wine!


Maybe Matteo can shed some light on this???

thanks
Amelia

Hi Amelia

your information are right.....

about the "gelateria" you should check the the list of this shop on AIC....they know how take care with people that can't eat gluten. No more bed experince in Gelateria!

I want to take more information about coffee because my mom, that is celiac, drinks coffee every day in bar or restaurant and she doesn't have any problem. but I want to be sure of this..so I will let you know.

I love gorgonzola and I eat just italian gorgonzola (DOC)....because it is safe for us as you said and it is really good

CIAO

MATTEO