A Gluten Free Life in Sevilla, by Olivia Upchurch

As a person with celiac disease, I was nervous to move to Spain to study abroad, not knowing if there would be enough gluten free options for me. I am sensitive to cross contamination, so even if restaurants have gluten free options, I often can not eat there because they use the same cooking equipment that is used for food with gluten. After arriving in Sevilla, I was pleasantly surprised with the wide access to safe restaurants. Within walking distance, I have access to two bakeries, two tapas restaurants, a Venezuelan restaurant, and a Mexican restaurant that are all fully gluten free establishments. In comparison, my city in the USA (Knoxville, Tennessee) only has one gluten free bakery that is a 30 minute drive away, and there are no fully gluten free restaurants within driving distance. According to an article about restaurants for celiacs in Sevilla, Vazquez wrote that 1 in 71 children in Spain have Celiac disease. These numbers are higher than in the USA and may explain the differences in access to fully gluten free restaurants. The article also mentions a challenge I have found to be true: it is extremely hard to find gluten free fried food that is safe for me to eat. Restaurants in Spain often use the same oil to fry all the food, and thus, it is often contaminated with wheat flour. Many of the traditional Spanish tapas such as patatas bravas, croquetas, and calamares fritos I am unable to try. This has limited my ability to try tapas. As we discussed in class, Spanish culture places an emphasis on relationships with others, and one of the main ways people spend time together is eating and drinking in restaurants and bars. This aspect of culture has been a barrier for me as I can only eat in a handful of restaurants, and if my friends go out, I often cannot eat and do not get to fully participate in the experience. I am experiencing the duality of the joy of having more restaurant options, and the sadness of not being able to always participate in an activity that is so central to Spanish culture. I am focusing on appreciating the increased food options available and feeling thankful that café con leche is always gluten free!