Yakisoba noodles are a Japanese noodle dish that first appeared in the 1930s and is typically made using Chinese noodles that are flavored with Worcestershire sauce. The dishes typically contain a range of ingredients such as cabbage, onions, bean sprouts, and small pieces of meat that are served with garnishes such as seaweed powder and pickled ginger. Due to their popularity, they are commonly available in school canteens in Japan. However, you may be wondering whether the noodles are gluten-free.
Yakisoba noodles are generally not gluten-free if made in the traditional manner for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they are typically based on soba noodles which are made from wheat and they are often also flavored with Worcestershire Sauce which most commonly contains gluten, though there are gluten-free versions that are commercially viable these days.
Additionally, there are versions of this dish that are made with udon noodles as well which also, unfortunately, contain gluten. However, it is possible to make gluten-free versions of this dish relatively easily by modifying the ingredients used.
Which Noodles Are Gluten-Free?
The vast majority of noodles available in the market do contain gluten which includes things like egg noodles, and most of the traditional Japanese varieties mentioned above such as soba and udon noodles. However, the most common type of noodles which are gluten-free are Thai noodles which can be sold as dried noodles or sometimes as fresh noodles.
Typically these noodles will be commercially sold as pad thai noodles are rice based but the brands they are sold as will vary from country to country therefore it is important to ensure that they are gluten-free by checking the ingredients list as there are many types of noodles that appear to be based on rice but actually also contain wheat.
Generally, the labels are relatively easy to read, however, if you are unfamiliar with them it is important to understand that in most countries food labeling laws require the manufacturers to state if there are any allergens present in the products. This means that typically manufacturers will either highlight or bold allergens that are present in the ingredients list or in some cases they will also provide a statement at the end of the ingredients list with a list of the allergens present.
For something like pad thai noodles generally have very few ingredients it is relatively easy to determine whether they contain gluten, however for something like Worcestershire Sauce which contains a wider variety of ingredients you do need to be a little bit more careful about reading the ingredients list as there are a few exceptions to things are labeled which can cause some confusion if you are an experienced in reading labels.
The first exception to this is that products that do contain sugars such as glucose or dextrose derived from wheat, which will be declared on the label but is actually gluten-free. The reason for this is that there is a high degree of processing which ensures that any gluten that was present has been removed. As a general rule, it is safe to say that any sugar ending in the “ose” that is derived from wheat is safe to eat.
The second area that is somewhat tricky is when the manufacturer places a statement at the bottom of the label such as this product “This Product May Contain Gluten”. Typically, what this means is that the product itself is actually gluten-free but is likely to be manufactured on the same equipment as products that do contain gluten.
As the manufacturers do not actually test the product gluten levels they tend to be cautious and state this on their labels to avoid any potential legal action should there be a problem. However, the reality is that these products are safe to eat for a couple of reasons. The first is that equipment between manufacturing runs is normally cleaned.
Secondly, if there is any gluten present on the equipment the size of the batch is normally sufficiently large to dilute any gluten that may be present to a point at which it is negligible. The generally accepted level of gluten that coeliacs can consume is less than 20 mg per day.
Cross-contamination studies in domestic settings have shown that cross-contamination of gluten generally is not as problematic as many dietitians have traditionally stated. For example, in one experiment gluten-free pasta was cooked in water that had also been used to cook gluten-containing pasta. Testing indicated that the level of gluten was above 20 mg in the dish however, as soon as it was rinsed with water the level of gluten present fell below the critical threshold so generally the risk of contamination is somewhat overstated.
Additionally, I live with a coeliac who routinely eats products that have the “May Contain Gluten” statement on products and they have never had an issue with an allergic reaction.
How To Make Yakisoba Noodles Gluten Free
Yaki soba noodles are generally quite easy to make gluten-free play Simply require the substitution of a few ingredients to convert them gluten-free here is a common recipe that has been used to make these noodles gluten-free.
Ingredients
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Carrot
Spring Onions.
300g Chicken Fillet – Thigh fillets are best however this can be substituted for beef, pork, or shrimp.
1 Onion
Noodles – Rice Noodles that are gluten-free
Yakisoba Sauce Ingredients
1 Teaspoon of Sugar.
1 Teaspoon of Soy Sauce – GF Free Options are available at the grocery store.
1 Tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Ketchup
1 Tablespoon of Worcester Sauce – GF Free Options are available at the grocery store.
Method
Step 1: Slice the onions, peppers, and carrots finally, and dice the chicken.
Step 2: Pre Soak the rice noodles if they have been dried.
Step 3: Combine all your sauce ingredients together in a bowl
Step 4: Fry the vegetables and chicken until cooked.
Step 5: Add in the sauce and noodles and stir to combine.
Step 6: Cook for a few minutes and serve
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