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People with wheat allergies or intolerances can be generally divided into two groups - those who can't eat gluten from any grain (celiac disease), and those who have problems strictly with the wheat grain. Celiac disease can cause severe physical symptoms, including intestinal bleeding. Celiacs need to avoid any wheat consumption - even a tiny amount can cause serious problems. Reactions to the wheat grain, rather than gluten, can cause a very wide variety of symptoms. Some of the latter group can tolerate small amounts of wheat, but each person's situation is different.

[edit] Food made with wheat

Ubiquitous and not necessarily-obvious food ingredients found in Korea that contain wheat are:

• Buckwheat noodles These vary in the amount of wheat flour they use. The ones from Daejeon use the largest proportion of buckwheat - around 90% -- but all Korean buckwheat noodles contain some wheat. It's possible to buy some wheat-free buckwheat noodles in Japan, but they are very expensive.
• Ddeokbokki In recent years this street snack has been commonly made with wheatcake rather than ricecake. The wheat ddeokbokki-ddeok is of a yellower color than the rice-based kind. Of course ddeokbokki also contains wheat in gochujang and in odeng, unless one makes one's own version.
• Doenjang Here again the large producers of doenjang use wheat flour. But, another kind of doenjang used commonly in spinach soups seems to be wheatless. Or one can use the stronger-flavoured and wheat-free Cheonggukjang.
• Gochujang Most gochujang is made by a few large producers and usually contains wheat flour. Some artisanal makers don't use it. Or, look for Chal-gochujang (잘고추장) which sometimes is wheat-free.
• Odeng Fish cake found in ddeokbokki, and on skewers on the street. Contains wheat flour.
• Sujebi This street food is made from wheat flour.
• Twigim These tempura-like fried foods are made with wheat flour.
• Soy sauce (간장) pretty much always has wheat, thus you should avoid any food with it. Bulgogi meat is normally marinated in soy sauce.

[edit] Wheat-free foods (sometimes)

• Ddeok There are several bread-like kinds of rice cake. Most are made with barley flour, and okay to eat for those who are celiac. However, avoid the yellowish ddeokboggi-ddeok (see above) made from wheat flour. Bindaeddeok is usually ok.
• Japchae noodles are made from yam starch. Often however, odeng is added to the dish, as well as soy sauce. Better to make japchae at home leaving out the wheatie items.
• Sundae Recipes and descriptions of these sausages often state that they are made with "vermicelli." However japchae noodles are the actual ingredient (in the types that use noodles).
• The Greenbee Bakery in Incheon makes and ships wheat-free bread.

[edit] Korean terms

• Wheat - 밀 (mil)

Wheat flour - note that all flour made from the wheat grain is wheat flour, both "white" and "whole wheat", (which some businesses regrettably shorten to as "wheat"....) There are two terms used - the latter is often seen in lists of ingredients:

• Wheat flour - 밀가루 (milkaru)
• Wheat flour - 소맥분 (somaekpun)

Note: Korean food made in restaurants outside Korea don't always conform to the normal more-predictable Korean standards. Ask first.