Gluten free in Greek: essential words & phrases for celiac travelers in Greece
Are you planning your next holiday and thinking about our beautiful country? Well, good idea: traveling to Greece as a celiac or gluten intolerant person can be an incredible experience, but you need to be prepared. Knowing how to say gluten free in Greek and understanding the local food culture can make a huge difference between a worry-free holiday and a stressful one.
In this guide, you will learn:
- the Greek word for gluten free
- how to say “I am gluten free” in Greek
- essential phrases to avoid gluten and cross-contamination
- what food is gluten free in Greece and the general situation in the country
- how to stay safe while enjoying food during your Greek holiday (especially in Rhodes)
And – spoiler alert – at the end of the page you’ll also find a convenient Greek gluten free card to download and use in restaurants and tavernas during your next holiday. Let’s go!
What is “Gluten Free” in Greek?
The first thing you should know before embarking on your holiday is how to say “gluten free” in Greek. Why? Mainly because it will make your life easier if you want to buy some packaged product whose label is in Greek only (very common!) and you want to understand if it’s suitable for you. But in general, since it’s something so crucial for you, it’s good to know how to say that – and related phrases – in the local language.
“Gluten free” in Greek translation
Here is the most important word you need to know (“gluten free”) and how it’s composed.
| English meaning | Greek translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten free | Χωρίς γλουτένη | ho-REES gloo-TEH-nee |
| Gluten | Γλουτένη | gloo-TEH-nee |
| Without | Χωρίς | ho-REES |
Keep an eye out for these words on menus, food packaging, or signs: wherever you see it, you know that there’s something gluten free for you!
How to say “I am gluten free” in Greek
You know it very well: if you have celiac disease, it’s important to be as clear and specific as possible. Saying only the words “gluten free” might not be enough, so here’s a short list of essential sentences to use if you want to take it a little bit further – in case they don’t speak English at the taverna you chose for lunch or dinner.
| English sentence | Greek translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I don’t eat gluten | Δεν τρώω γλουτένη | then TRO-oh gloo-TEH-nee |
| I cannot eat gluten | Δεν μπορώ να φάω γλουτένη | then bo-RO na FA-oh gloo-TEH-nee |
| I am allergic to gluten | Έχω αλλεργία στη γλουτένη | EH-ho ah-lehr-YEE-ah stee gloo-TEH-nee |
| I have celiac disease | Έχω κοιλιοκάκη | EH-ho kee-lee-oh-KAH-kee |
Insider’s tip:
Saying “Έχω κοιλιοκάκη” (I have celiac disease) is usually taken more seriously than simply saying “I’m gluten free” – which might be perceived as a preference, not a health need.
We’ll tell you more: in some places, it might be even more effective to say that you are allergic to gluten because they might not know exactly what celiac disease is – whereas they know for sure how to handle food in case of allergy (or at least they should!). In case you face this issue, though, you can also solve it by handing out the Greek gluten free travel card that you’ll find at the end of this page, which explains everything they need to know.
Important Greek vocabulary for celiacs and intolerants
Another thing that can be useful, especially if you’re reading labels of local products or menus in Greek in less touristic areas, is a list of the most common words related to gluten. Here are the key ones that you might want to recognize and use:
| English | Greek | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten | Γλουτένη | gloo-TEH-nee |
| Wheat | Σιτάρι | see-TAH-ree |
| Flour | Αλεύρι | ah-LEH-vee |
| Bread | Ψωμί | pso-MEE |
| Pasta | Ζυμαρικά | zoo-mah-ree-KAH |
| Pita | Πίτα | PEE-tah |
| Breadcrumbs | Τριμμένη φρυγανιά | tree-MEH-nee free-ya-NYAH |
| Fried | Τηγανητό | tee-gah-nee-TO |
| Oil | Λάδι | LAH-thee |
The sentence “No pita” (“Χωρίς πίτα” – pronounced ho-REES PEE-tah) will be very handy whenever you want to ask for a dish – for example grilled meat – that is a bit safer. Generally, they always put pita on the side so it’s a good idea to specify that you don’t want it on your plate.
Another very important question, to ask if you want to understand more about cross contamination of french fries (which, let’s face it, are our only carb option in many situations), is: “Μαγειρεύεται στο ίδιο λάδι?”. It means “Is it cooked in the same oil?” and pronounced “mah-yeh-REV-eh-tai sto EE-thee-oh LAH-thee?”.
Gluten free in Greece: why it can be tricky
We hope that all this Greek gluten free vocabulary didn’t scare you too much. Maybe you’ll be lucky and you won’t need to use it – but you know as well as we do that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The matter is that Greece has many naturally gluten-free dishes and even some gluten free desserts, but awareness of cross-contamination is still limited in many tavernas (even touristic ones). Many foods are gluten free by recipe, but not always gluten free by preparation.
Shared fryers are often used for both breaded and non-breaded foods, flour is sometimes added to sauces without notice (unfortunately we know this for personal experience), bread is frequently placed directly on plates as part of the standard table setup – as we mentioned before. Moreover, in many kitchens, grills, utensils and preparation surfaces are also shared. For example, we often explain to our celiac friends that grilled meat, which is usually the go-to safe option everywhere around the world, could be not-so-safe in Greece. Exactly because most restaurants use the same grill to grill bread and meat. And voilà contamination!
Dedicated gluten free establishments remain the safest and most reliable option for celiacs, but they are not so common in Greece. That’s why a “survival kit” of Greek words and sentences can save the holiday of a gluten free person.
Gluten free in Rhodes: the safest choice during your holiday
As we said, we LOVE establishments that are completely dedicated to gluten free food. That’s why we opened one! So if you’re visiting Rhodes and you’re celiac, or gluten intolerant, you should visit our 100% gluten free café and snack bar: Rhodes Gluten Free.
In our eatery:
- everything is 100% gluten free
- there is zero risk of cross-contamination (we don’t even allow people carrying gluten items inside the shop!)
- you can enjoy typical Greek pies, gluten free pizza, desserts, sandwiches, coffee, gluten free beer & more – without stress.
We are the perfect spot for breakfast, lunch, snacks, early dinner, takeaways, excursions, and airport food. You don’t believe us? Visit us and judge yourself!
Greek gluten free card: all you need, in one place
Even if you know how to say gluten free in Greek, misunderstandings can still happen. Especially because not everyone you’ll meet will speak perfect English. And you don’t want something so important for your health to get lost in translation!
That’s why we suggest celiacs (especially) to use a Greek gluten free travel card explaining celiac disease clearly. You can carry it with you during your holiday and hand it to the server at the restaurant – so that they can understand exactly your needs and talk to the chef to make sure they prepare your food properly.
Just click on the button below to find a ready-to-use Greek gluten free card that you can download, print, or show on your phone.
Final thoughts for celiac and gluten intolerant travelers in Greece
Learning how to say “gluten free” in Greek is a great first step, but words alone are not always enough. What really makes the difference is where you choose to eat and how seriously gluten free is taken in the kitchen. Whenever you can, look for places with dedicated gluten free spaces (even partial ones), staff who understand celiac disease, and clear, confident communication about ingredients and cross-contamination. And when in doubt, hand out our Greek gluten free travel card so that nothing gets lost in translation.
If your travels bring you to Rhodes… well, you already know there’s a place where you can relax, order anything you like, and enjoy Greek food without a single worry. See you at Rhodes Gluten Free!