India – A Gluten Free Perspective

This is what I have been up to this summer and this is me sharing my experience with you!

This wasn’t my first trip outside of Europe. Once all flights and accommodations were sorted out, my next and biggest concern was food. Seeing the many food vlogs about food markets and Indian food, coupled up with the thought of explaining what gluten has worried me. This is why I focused more on the idea of exploring the country and listed food and eating as a lesser issue. Just a week before leaving my hometown Malta, I made sure I packed enough food, snacks and protein bars as possible, just in case eating out was impossible. Planning ahead is always the best thing to do, but in reality you would not know what to expect until you are actually there. Just to put you in the picture, 50% of my backpack was filled with food and the other 50% with all the other essentials I needed for the whole 20 days... and off I go to India.

Before getting there

I made an extensive research in order to find out what to eat and what to not eat in India since some foods like raw vegetables, raw fruits and water may make you sick when consumed. Thus keeping this in my gluten free mind was a challenge... a challenge I wanted to concur.

Getting there

I had advised the airline I travelled with, to provide me with gluten free meals on board. Knowing, that the trip would take more than 17 hours, meals on board were essential. During my first flight I was served with breakfast and during the second flight I was served with dinner. The food was tasty and above all gluten free! On the Istanbul airport, you may find various restaurants and cafes but none of them specifially cater for gluten free diets.

Off to our second destination, New Delhi, the capital city of India. This city is exceptionally developed and advanced when compared to the other cities I have visited. I stayed in a very nice hotel that had three restuarants in the same building, all of which offering gluten free options. In the meantime, I have also visited some food markets including the sneezing market that is made of stalls full of chillies – and as the name suggests, once you set foot in this market you will in fact start sneezing!

Here is where my friends and I spent some days volounteering at a children’s house run by Catholic nuns. The children living here are either abandoned at birth by their parents or else they have been found roaming around and lost in the streets. We had the chance to spend some time with the children and seeing them smiling was the most fullfilling feeling I could have experienced. During these days we have stayed at the convent. Together with the sisters we had breakfast, lunch and dinner. The sisters were very helpful and considerate about my restrictive diet so they made sure that everything they prepared was in fact gluten free by double checking every ingredient with me. I am truly so thankful for this.

In between cities I have also managed to visit one of the world’s seven wonder – the Taj Mahal. This has been on my bucket list for so long and I finally made it!

During the ten hour train ride to Varanasi I’ve had the chance to nibble on some Schär snacks I packed all the way from Malta. Although eating was doable, the thought of eating safe 100% gluten free products made me feel safe and at ease. The rest of the dinners and lunches were consumed at the hotel I have stayed in, since there aren’t many restaurants which I relied on for gluten free food. Here I also visited the River Ganges, were dead bodies are burned in the burning ghats as a spiritual rituals and their ashes are then scattered into the river so that the soul can achieve Niravana. This was a very interesting experience, one that I would reccommend to anyone visiting Varanasi.

Kolkata

Our second voluntary experience kicked off in Kolkata where we met the Sister of Mother Theresa and spent some time helping the carers at one of the many childrens’ homes they run.

I was assigned to help out in a home where children with various disabilities are taken care of. This city was also limited as to the gluten free options available. This is where my packed food saved me once again. However, surprisingly enough in Kolkata there is also a Hard Rock Cafe Kolkata which also offers gluten free options.

Mumbai

Travelling back home I made a stop in a tree house in the middles of the woods. This was the moment I could wind down from the different cultural experiences I had encountered in the previous days and the time I had the chance to appreciate more what I have and what I work for. At this moment I only had a few gluten free products left in my backpack but I still got to enjoy Schär’s gluten free Bon Matin!