Before You Go · Dietary communication

Traveling to China With a Peanut Allergy

Last reviewed: October 3, 2026

01 Core tool

Build your Simplified Chinese peanut-allergy card

Peanuts are preselected. Keep that option on to generate the full peanut warning, then add any other allergies or dietary restrictions that also apply. Show the card before you order.

Core tool

What do you need to avoid?

Select every allergy or diet that applies. Your A4 Simplified Chinese card updates on the right.

Select → A4 card

This page is a travel communication aid, not medical advice and not a safety guarantee. The card does not certify a dish, kitchen, or restaurant as allergen-free or suitable for your diet.

02 How to use it

Restaurant communication: five steps

This is a verification process — not a list of “safe” Chinese dishes. Ingredient presence and cross-contact during preparation are different risks.

If you have a food allergy, keep prescribed emergency medication readily accessible exactly as your clinician directed.
Travel with the emergency / allergy action plan your clinician recommended when applicable (bring a local-language copy if possible).
Ensure travel companions know your restriction and how to help if needed.
Carry a translated Simplified Chinese dining card (build one with the selector on this page).
Pack known-acceptable snacks for times you cannot verify ingredients or preparation.
Know mainland China’s medical emergency number: 120.

Show the Chinese card before ordering. Present the Simplified Chinese card early so staff can read it or take it to the kitchen.
Ask about the specific restriction on this dish. Confirm whether the dish contains the allergen or animal ingredient you need to avoid — not only what is listed on the menu.
Ask about oils, sauces, stocks, and seasonings. Hidden ingredients often sit in peanut oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, lard, chicken powder, or shared stock.
Explain cross-contact during preparation. Ask about shared utensils, cookware, fryers, or surfaces that may transfer residue from restricted foods.
If staff cannot confirm, do not treat the dish as verified. Choose another option, use known-acceptable snacks, or leave — do not rely on a guess.

03 Vegetarian / vegan

Vegetarian dining in China

Many dishes that look plant-based still use lard, oyster sauce, meat stock, or chicken powder. Use the Vegetarian / vegan card and confirm hidden animal ingredients.

Look for dedicated vegetarian restaurants

Search maps for 素食餐厅 / 素菜馆. Dedicated kitchens reduce the chance that meat stock or lard is the default cooking base.

Temple vegetarian meals (斋饭)

Some temples and Buddhist restaurants serve 斋饭. Rules vary — some exclude onion/garlic (五辛); confirm before you rely on a visit.

Hotel and chain options

Larger hotels and some chains can often prepare a simple vegetable dish, but still ask about oil, stock, and oyster sauce.

Communicating “make it vegetarian”

Ask for a true vegetarian preparation. Saying “no meat” is not enough if the kitchen still uses lard, meat stock, chicken powder, or oyster sauce.
“荤菜素做” is a negotiation, not a guarantee. Staff may offer to remake a meat dish without the meat. Confirm oil, stock, and sauces before accepting.
State onion / garlic limits if you need them. If you avoid allium (葱蒜), say so explicitly — many Chinese vegetarian dishes still use them.

Vegetarian-related Chinese terms
English	Simplified Chinese	Pinyin / note
vegetarian	素食	sùshí
vegan / plant-based	纯素	chúnsù
vegetarian restaurant	素食餐厅 / 素菜馆	sùshí cāntīng / sùcài guǎn
temple / Buddhist vegetarian meal	斋饭	zhāifàn
no meat	不要肉	bú yào ròu
no lard	不要猪油	bú yào zhūyóu
no oyster sauce	不要蚝油	bú yào háoyóu
no chicken powder / meat stock	不要鸡精 / 肉汤	bú yào jījīng / ròutāng
no onion or garlic	葱蒜不吃	cōng suàn bù chī
Please make this vegetarian	请做成素的	Qǐng zuò chéng sù de

04 Chinese terms

Useful words for allergy communication

Includes the original peanut terms from this page, plus common allergy words. Vegetarian terms are in the section above.

Allergy-related Chinese terms for restaurant communication
English	Simplified Chinese	Pinyin / note
peanut	花生	huāshēng
peanuts / peanut kernels	花生米	huāshēng mǐ
peanut oil	花生油	huāshēng yóu
peanut butter	花生酱	huāshēng jiàng
peanut allergy	花生过敏	huāshēng guòmǐn
contains peanuts	含有花生	hányǒu huāshēng
Does this contain peanuts?	这个含有花生吗？	Zhège hányǒu huāshēng ma?
Please check with the kitchen/chef	请和厨房确认	Qǐng hé chúfáng quèrèn
allergy	过敏	guòmǐn
allergen	过敏原	guòmǐnyuán
cross-contact	交叉接触	jiāochā jiēchù

05 Cross-contact

Cross-contact: what to ask about

A dish may list none of your restricted ingredients and still need preparation questions. No kitchen can guarantee zero risk.

Shared surfaces

Is this dish prepared on shared cutting boards or counters used for restricted foods?

Shared utensils and cookware

Do you use the same knives, pans, or serving spoons for restricted dishes and other dishes?

Shared oil or fryer

Is the same oil or fryer used for foods that contain the allergen or animal ingredient you avoid?

Shared sauces and stock

Are sauces, seasonings, or stocks made in a common batch that may include the restricted ingredient?

06 If unsure

If staff cannot confirm

Politely decline that dish or request an alternative you can verify.
Ask staff to tell you clearly if they cannot check the kitchen rather than guessing.
Use your known-acceptable snacks or choose a place where staff can confirm.
Do not assume a dish is acceptable because someone says “no problem” without describing how the dish is prepared.

07 Emergency

If You Have an Allergic Reaction in China

Short guidance only — follow your clinician’s plan, not a page protocol.

Follow your clinician-prescribed emergency/allergy action plan and use prescribed medications as instructed. Do not alter or substitute medications based on this page.
For a medical emergency in mainland China, call 120 (nationwide pre-hospital emergency call number).
If possible, have a travel companion call while you begin your emergency plan.
Seek emergency medical care if symptoms match your clinician’s criteria for emergency treatment.

FAQ

Common questions

How do I say “I have a peanut allergy” in Chinese?

我有花生过敏。(Wǒ yǒu huāshēng guòmǐn.)

How do I ask if food contains peanut oil?

Ask: 这个用了花生油吗？(Zhège yòngle huāshēng yóu ma?)

Should I carry an allergy card in China?

Yes. CDC Travelers’ Health advises bringing allergy cards translated into the local language and giving them to restaurant staff. A Simplified Chinese card helps when language is a barrier — it is a communication aid, not a safety guarantee.

What if restaurant staff cannot confirm the ingredients?

If staff cannot confidently confirm ingredients or preparation, do not treat the dish as verified safe. Choose a different option, use known-safe snacks, or go somewhere that can confirm.

What number do I call for a medical emergency in China?

For medical emergency services in mainland China, call 120 (nationwide pre-hospital emergency call number under Chinese regulations). Follow your clinician’s emergency plan and use prescribed rescue medication as instructed.

Can I build a card for more than one allergy?

Yes. Select every allergen that applies. The Chinese card updates to list all selected items. It remains a communication aid, not a kitchen guarantee.

How do I ask for vegetarian food without hidden animal ingredients?

Use the Vegetarian / vegan card and specifically mention 猪油 (lard), 蚝油 (oyster sauce), 鸡精 (chicken powder), and 肉汤 (meat stock). “No meat” alone is often incomplete.

What does 斋饭 mean?

斋饭 usually means a Buddhist / temple-style vegetarian meal. Some versions also avoid onion and garlic. Confirm the kitchen rules before you treat it as matching your own diet.

Is “荤菜素做” safe for vegetarians?

Not by itself. It only means staff may try to remake a dish without the meat. Always confirm oil, stock, and sauces, and decline if they cannot confirm.

Authoritative sources

Last reviewed: October 3, 2026.

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