What is Gluten?

No, not a jeopardy answer.

At the moment, I am on a gluten-free diet. So I may be posting some recipes that are gluten free (gf). But first, that good question: what is gluten?

Simply put, it is the common name for a specific set of proteins found in cereals and grains. You probably eat it several times a day, as it is very common in most food. The gluten people talk about when they talk about being "gluten free" or "gluten intolerant" or "gluten sensitive" comes from wheat, barley or rye. If you can't eat gluten, it means you can't eat bread, pasta, pastries, etc, but it also means you can't eat a many cereals or prepared food, where gluten sneaks into the otherwise gluten-free food in the way of preservatives, additives or thickeners.

You may have heard of celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder where the body, triggered by gluten, attacks itself. Other people may not be diagnosed with celiac, or have tested negative for it, but are still quite sensitive to gluten in their diet.