Detailed Gluten-Free Restaurant Card — Germany

Great labels, tricky sauces

Germany has strong celiac awareness and excellent labeling. The DZG (German Celiac Society) licenses the crossed-grain mark on thousands of packaged products and publishes eating-out resources. Berlin and Munich have dedicated gluten-free bakeries, supermarket ranges are extensive, and German-brewed gluten-free beers (Schnitzer, Lammsbräu) are among the world’s best. I still confirm preparation every time — flour and beer show up in a lot of sauces.

What’s on the card

• A clear explanation of Zöliakie in German, so the kitchen treats it as medical — not a diet
• What I can’t eat and where gluten hides: Maggi seasoning (contains wheat) in soups and sauces, Wurst that often contains wheat starch or breadcrumb, Kartoffelpuffer made with wheat flour, beer in batters and pan sauces
• What’s usually workable: sauerkraut and red cabbage, and grilled meat, fish, or vegetables with no breading and no beer sauce
• The kitchen questions — including “Is there flour, breadcrumb, or beer in the sauce?” and the dedicated-fryer question for Pommes

What’s in the travel companion (page 2)

• How I pick restaurants: asking “Haben Sie glutenfreie Optionen?”, checking the DZG’s eating-out resources, chains like Hans im Glück that label gluten-free options clearly — and treating Bäckereien as off-limits unless dedicated gluten-free
• Six dishes worth ordering (Sauerbraten only after confirming a flour-free sauce, Eintopf after verifying the thickener), shopping notes (Schär, Schnitzer, Lammsbräu, Bauckhof, Alnatura Glutenfrei, and dm’s gluten-free range), and where options cluster — Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne
• If you get glutened: the Apotheke phrase “ich habe Zöliakie und habe Gluten gegessen,” and 112 with English-speaking operators

The honest certification picture

Germany is one of the better-covered countries: the DZG (Deutsche Zöliakie-Gesellschaft) licenses the durchgestrichene Ähre (crossed-grain mark) on packaged foods and publishes eating-out resources, and “glutenfrei” on labels is an EU-regulated claim (max 20 ppm). Packaging marks don’t follow the food into the restaurant kitchen — that part is on the card, in German.

Format

Instant download: 2-page PDF, printable or phone-ready.

This card helps communicate your dietary needs. It does not guarantee a gluten-free meal or eliminate cross-contact risk. Always use your judgment, and when in doubt, do not eat. Not medical advice.