Asking About Ingredients

Checking what is in a dish when you have allergies or dietary restrictions.

You
Disculpe, tengo una alergia. ¿Este plato lleva maní?
dees-KOOL-peh, TEHN-goh OO-nah ah-LEHR-hyah. EHS-teh PLAH-toh YEH-bah mah-NEE?
Excuse me, I have an allergy. Does this dish contain peanuts?
'Maní' is peanut in most of Latin America. In Mexico, you may also hear 'cacahuate' (kah-kah-WAH-teh).
Waitress
Déjeme preguntar en la cocina. Un momento, por favor.
DEH-heh-meh preh-goon-TAHR ehn lah koh-SEE-nah. oon moh-MEHN-toh, pohr fah-BOHR.
Let me ask in the kitchen. One moment, please.
Staff may not always know ingredients off the top of their head, so be patient while they check.
Waitress
No lleva maní, pero sí tiene leche. ¿Eso está bien?
noh YEH-bah mah-NEE, PEH-roh see TYEH-neh LEH-cheh. EH-soh ehs-TAH byehn?
It doesn't have peanuts, but it does contain milk. Is that okay?
You
Sí, está bien. No tengo problema con la leche. ¿Y tiene gluten?
see, ehs-TAH byehn. noh TEHN-goh proh-BLEH-mah kohn lah LEH-cheh. ee TYEH-neh GLOO-tehn?
Yes, that's fine. I have no problem with milk. And does it have gluten?
Key allergy words: 'mariscos' (shellfish), 'trigo' (wheat), 'huevo' (egg), 'soya' (soy), 'frutos secos' (tree nuts).
Waitress
No, es libre de gluten. Se lo preparan con harina de maíz.
noh, ehs LEE-breh deh GLOO-tehn. seh loh preh-PAH-rahn kohn ah-REE-nah deh mah-EES.
No, it's gluten-free. They prepare it with corn flour.
Many traditional Latin American dishes use corn ('maíz') instead of wheat, which is naturally gluten-free.