The first thing I did when I was diagnosed with Celiac disease was to read a self-help book by an American girl who also had the disease. In that book was a very simple, but highly useful, restaurant card. It was in English and plotted down all the ingredients that could be harmful for a person with Celiac. I actually never used it, but it gave me a great sense of security as it followed me around the world in my wallet.
1. What are restaurant cards?
Restaurant cards are cards containing ingredients that are unsafe for Celiacs and persons on a gluten free diet. They are useful because they come in various local languages, making it possible for you to convey your concern about dishes without speaking the language.
2. How useful are restaurant cards?
While being in countries where English is widely spoken, I have not had the greatest need personally for a restaurant translation card. In my experience they can be somewhat confusing to staff as they are very lengthy. So I have instead used google translate. With that said, the times I have used one it has been wonderful! At a restaurant in Greece I showed my Greek restaurant translation card, and the waiter helped me find a safe dish. If you are going to a place where even the written language is different from yours, I would absolutely recommend to bring a restaurant card.
I do feel the need to underline that you should not fully trust that your translation restaurant card is read, understood or respected. You should always take precaution, and I advice you to take a look at my tips for ordering at restaurants.
3. Where do I find restaurant cards?
There is no point in reinventing the wheel, so I have listed down some resources for gluten free restaurant cards. Note that if you are member of a local Celiac association, they might also have their own restaurant cards available. Here is a short list of places you can get your cards for free:
Glutenfri.org (Norwegian basetext)
