Singapore Travel: Hidden Gluten

Where Gluten Hides in Singapore Kitchens

You already know to ask about soy sauce. But in Singapore, several other everyday ingredients contain gluten, and most kitchens have no idea. Nobody is being careless or trying to cause harm. Gluten awareness here is simply very low, so these ingredients get overlooked.

This is the second video in our Gluten-Free Singapore Toolkit series. In the first video, we talked about why gluten-free awareness is so low in Singapore and how that makes dining out complicated, even when everyone speaks English. This time, we walk through the ingredients most likely to fly under the radar, so you know exactly what to ask about.

Hing (Compounded Asafoetida)

Hing, also called asafoetida, is a pungent spice used in Indian cooking, especially in lentil and dhal dishes. In Singapore it is almost always "compounded," which means it is mixed with flour to make it easier to measure. That flour is typically wheat.

Only a pinch goes into a dish, but that pinch is more than enough to push it well over the 20 parts per million (ppm) limit for gluten-free safety. Most restaurant staff don't realize hing could be a source of gluten.

It gets harder: many restaurants here rely on central kitchens that prepare food in bulk and send it out to smaller outlets. That makes it difficult for staff to confirm ingredients on the spot.

What to do: Always ask whether hing is used. If you're unsure, skip the dish.

What Does 20 ppm Mean?

An important note for our Australian and New Zealand friends:

• Australia and New Zealand have some of the strictest food labeling laws in the world. A product labeled gluten-free must have no detectable gluten.

• The United States and parts of Europe consider up to 20 ppm safe for people with celiac disease.

• Singapore has had no official rules for gluten-free labeling, which made shopping tricky. From early 2026, products labeled gluten-free need to meet the 20 ppm limit.

That is a big step forward. But if you are used to the stricter Australian and New Zealand standard, keep it in mind when you shop or eat out here.

Oyster Sauce

Oyster sauce is one of the most commonly used sauces in Singapore and across Southeast Asia. It almost always contains wheat flour as a thickener, and it shows up in far more dishes than you would expect, especially in Chinese and Thai kitchens.

In Thai restaurants, stir-fried vegetables are almost always cooked with oyster sauce. So don't assume a plain veggie dish is safe.

What to do: Always ask whether oyster sauce is used, even in simple vegetable dishes.

Barley Malt

Barley malt is a sneaky one. It appears in products that look totally safe. Here are three places you are likely to meet it in Singapore:

Milo

This chocolate-flavored drink is everywhere: drink stalls, cafes, even fast food chains. It is made with malted barley and is not gluten-free.

Worcestershire Sauce

In the US, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is labeled gluten-free. The version sold in Singapore uses a completely different recipe that includes barley malt. The US version is generally not available here, so assume the gluten-containing one is being used.

Breakfast Cereals

Cereals that are gluten-free back home, like corn flakes or rice puffs, are often sweetened with barley malt in Southeast Asia. Cereals at hotel breakfast buffets usually have no ingredient labels.

What to do: Ask the hotel to show you the ingredient list, or bring your own favorite gluten-free cereal.

Barley Water

Barley water seems light and refreshing, but it is definitely not gluten-free. It is made by boiling barley grains, sweetening the liquid, and serving it chilled. You'll see it at hawker stalls and casual eateries.

To confuse things further, there is another grain called Chinese pearl barley, also known as Job's Tears. It is actually gluten-free, but it looks almost exactly like regular barley, and it is very hard to tell the two apart.

What to do: If you see the word "barley" on any menu, assume it is the gluten-containing kind and skip it.

Shaoxing Cooking Wine

Shaoxing wine is widely used in Chinese recipes. It is made from glutinous rice (which is gluten-free), but it is fermented using wheat or barley koji, a mold that breaks down the grains. As with soy sauce, nobody knows exactly how much gluten is left after fermentation.

This isn't just theory. When tested with a Nima sensor, Shaoxing cooking wine typically registers as containing gluten. Local chefs may not realize this, especially since nothing on the ingredient label gives it away.

What to do: Always ask whether Shaoxing wine is used, especially in anything marinated or slow cooked.

Quick Recap: Ingredients to Avoid or Ask About

You're Already One Step Ahead

These ingredients are overlooked in local kitchens because gluten-free knowledge here is still very limited. That is why your own preparation matters so much when you travel to Singapore. Now that you know where gluten hides, you can ask better questions and make safer choices.

What To Do Next:

• Download the Hidden Gluten Ingredient List to keep on your phone as a quick reference when you're ordering.

• Watch the Next Video: Cross Contamination
  Know the common ways that Singapore kitchens can accidentally add gluten to your food.

• Download Free Restaurant Shortlist
  Get our quick list of dedicated and trusted gluten-free places in Singapore.

• Upgrade to the Full Gluten-Free Singapore Travel Toolkit
  Get access to the complete guide, bilingual dining cards, printable PDFs, recommended restaurant map, airport tips, and more.

• Missed the first video in the series? Start with why gluten awareness is so low in Singapore.