What was this ingredient?

[Darkdiamond]

My friend invited me to her home for some home made South East Asian food. It was absolutely delicious but something happened to me as I was eating it. My nose blocked up, like suddenly and drastically. One moment I could breathe easily though my nose and the next I couldn't sniff at all; then my nose started pouring like a tap. The next day, my face was all quite swollen, especially around my eyes. I drank copious amounts of water and it took the full day for my face to go back to normal. It was a week ago and I've been strangely snotty ever since.

I know this wasn't a cold as it happened in a few seconds, one minute I was fine and the next I wasn't. It felt like I had a reaction. I eat chilli and I'm always OK (spicy foods are normally fine). I used to have a similar reaction when I drank wine (I don't drink alcohol at all any more) and my nose would totally block up leaving me with a swollen face the next day.

I don't want to risk offending my friend by asking. Her food was absolutely stunning but I think something set me off and I don't know if there is an ingredient used in South East Asian cuisine that is known for causing allergies or being full of histamine (this is what it felt like). I'd obviously like to know if I have an intolerance to something for future reference.

Any ideas?

allergy tests work very well. And you really should get tested, allergic reactions can worsen.

Do allergy tests work or are they a gimmick?

Yes, they do work, especially if they are carried out properly by a qualified doctor.

Is sumac commonly used in SE Asian cooking @VeryDeepEverything?
I thought that it was more of a Mediterranean/middle Eastern condiment.

I'm inclined to think it might have been shrimp paste or fish sauce or even peanuts @Darkdiamond

Yes, you do need to find out what caused it I'm afraid @Darkdiamond. Allergic reactions tend to get worse each time you are exposed to the allergen.

Thanks for this. I definitely need to look into this. The way my nose closed up was annoying but maybe it might be my throat next time

You are going to have to ask your friend if there was any fish / shellfish in the dishes.

Maldive fish seems like a front runner and is in lots of authentic condiments.
https://www.ceylonsupermart.com/a/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&q=maldive+fish&filter.p.product_type=

My drink of choice is red wine. Very occasionally, I have the symptoms you describe, which is swelling, puffiness to the eyes, face looking red, Feeling slightly irritated on the facial skin. I take an antihistamine and that slowly calms things down over the day. So it sounds to me a little bit as if you've had a histamine reaction. I don't know what causes that for me as it only occasionally some red wines. Perhaps an additive?

Yes this was me when I drank. Some times I would come up in purple splotches on my face. I thought histimine too.

Its now quite easy to buy msg in the uk for home use. I can't cope with it at all, it gives me fluey food poisoning symptoms. As an aside, I am allergic to penecillin, its never put me into anaphyllaxis but I was warned that that reactions which make you swell up do risk getting worse each time it happens so you really do need to know what was in the food. Its my understanding that the only allergy tests worth doing are the prick tests. I think the NHS don't routinely do them unless you collapse or the symptoms are dreadful. Personally I'd have no problem with helping someone avoid an allergy by telling them what was in a meal I had cooked.

Could be that. Allergies can change and become worse

I have to friends severely allergic to cumin.

Could there have been any peanuts in the recipe?

I love peanuts. Had some today in fact and totally fine.

Could the culprit be monosodium glutamate?
That's commonly used in Asian cooking.
The reason I thought of that is because many years ago a friends brother had some I think it was Chinese food, and he had a very dramatic reaction to what they determined was MSG.

Do allergy tests work or are they a gimmick?
Of course they work!!! What a bizarre comment! Allergies can get progressively worse, so next time OP, it might be a full on anaphylaxis, or the time after! I'd be getting tested, and if needed, get an epi-pen. Its not something to joke about, and I can't believe you sat there continuing to eat whilst your face was swelling up and getting blocked up! 😕

What was the meal you were served? My immediate thought was MSG, because you said South East Asian. But you now say Sri Lankan. Was it a fish curry? Just ask for the recipe or ask your friend exactly what was in it.

There is a lot of coconut in Sri Lankan cuisine which is a known allergen. have a friend who is allergic so I leave my Sri Lankan cookery books on the shelf when she visits.

That would be top of my list to suspect

The "send your hair/saliva/ ones in to us with a wodge of money" don't work, neither do the muscle resistance ones or the send in bloodtest ones. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/LJ72Gy4ShspWzm3hcv03dT/do-home-allergy-and-intolerance-tests-work https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/fact-sheet/allergy-testing/

Yes, you are right. You need to contact your GP for this, not a quack.

@godmum56 I was clearly referring to an NHS or private allergy clinic for proper testing. Not something online!

Honestly, this is annoying. I asked because I didn't know. Some people are unqualified and peddle various services which people take at face value, and I didn't know if the allergy testing business could fall under that umbrella.

My face was puffy the next day, which isn't the same as my face swelling up as I ate.

It wasn't clear at all what allergy testing you were referring to!

You need allergy testing and to take precautions in case of future reactions. Your GP will advise. Allergic reactions can get drastically worse suddenly.
Your face puffing up, nasal tissue swelling are serious symptoms.

it could have been a histamine reaction.
did you have red wine ?
some fish and fish sauces are high histamine .

Id imagine it was shaoxing rice wine, if you have the same reaction to wine. It’s in a lot of Asian recipes.

Sri Lankan food? That’ll be your shellfish allergy then.

Didnt you tell her you had a food allergy? I can’t get my head around why you wouldn’t.

Yes maybe, I'm very sensitive to alcohol.

Aside from the obvious contenders of shellfish and wine, what about aubergine? That can produce strange reactions in people!