In recent years, I’ve received many emails from people who stumbled upon my blog and wanted to learn more about managing the gluten-free diet in Shanghai/China. These people include people traveling to and/or living in China. I’m glad this blog has served its purpose (reason why I started this blog many years ago), if only I had more time to keep it updated and add more useful information. That’s the challenge of being a full-time working mom.

In any case, one popular request I get is where to buy gluten-free flours. Import stores like CityShop and Pines do carry some packaged gluten-free mix but at an exortbitant price (80-100RMB per package!). For lack of alternatives, many people bite the bullet and pay the price. I actually grind my own gluten-free flours from whole grain using a Vitamix. While the Vitamix is an expensive investment (8000+ RMB for both the wet and dry blade), the long-term cost savings of grinding your own flours is worth it for anyone planning to live in China for a few years.

For those who can’t afford to buy a Vitamix or don’t plan to stay in China for a long time, I started grinding gluten-free flours for anyone who requests them. Actually, I ask my ayi to do the grinding. You’ll need to cover the cost of the grain plus the time it takes for my ayi to grind/sift them. It’s about 20RMB per medium-sized ziplock bag. And you’ll need to pick them up from my place. (I live in Pudong in the Zhangjiang neighborhood)

Flours available:

• brown rice flour
• sorghum flour
• millet flour
• buckwheat flour

Send me your request via the Contact Me form. Include your email address, what flours and how many bags you want. I’ll get back to you regarding approximate time the flours will be ready for pick up.