Getting all set for my trip to Nepal and Upper Mustang, I put together two restaurant cards explaining my celiac disease, what ingredients I can eat and how my meals need to be prepared safely. For Upper Mustang, I also created a version in Tibetan, as the region speaks a Tibetan dialect. I wanted to make sure I could communicate my needs even in the most remote villages.
Both translations were initially drafted with the help of AI (Gemini and Claude), then reviewed and corrected by a native Tibetan speaker and a Nepali language expert.
Printable Card Nepali / English Restaurant card + safe & unsafe ingredient list
Printable Card Tibetan / English (Upper Mustang) Restaurant card + safe & unsafe ingredient list
Gluten-free in Nepal: how it went
Kathmandu and Pokhara were straightforward. Both cities have restaurants that understand celiac disease, and I had no issues. I’ve saved a few on the Find Me GF app, I’m sure more will appear in the coming years as awareness grows.
Upper Mustang is a different story, especially in low season. Almost nobody knows what celiac disease is, and the written cards alone are not enough, many locals speak a Tibetan dialect and aren’t always literate in either Tibetan or Nepali. The real safety net is your guide, who is also legally required to accompany you in Upper Mustang. Explain everything to them in detail before you start, and make sure they’re comfortable advocating for you in the kitchen, not just handing over a card.
If you get the chance, ask to eat in the kitchen. We were allowed to because there were no other tourists and it was the only warm room, but it turned out to be invaluable. A few examples of what I caught by being there in person:
- The cook had flour all over her hands and prepared my hot ginger honey drink without washing them. I saw it and didn’t drink it. Had I been sitting in the dining room, I wouldn’t have known.
- Another time, my pan had been “washed” with paper only. No water, because water was scarce. I asked them to wash it properly before cooking my meal. You have to advocate for yourself constantly, and you have to be present enough to notice things. That’s the honest reality of eating gluten-free in Upper Mustang. It’s manageable, but it requires attention, a good guide, and a willingness to speak up every single time.
