Travellers to Bali not only get to enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty, the wide range of leisure activities and the island’s exciting culture, but also the great cuisine. Balinese cuisine is very diverse and offers something for every palate. Meat and fish eaters will find plenty to satisfy their cravings, but vegetarians and vegans are also well catered for.
On almost every corner of the island, a wide variety of warungs, restaurants and markets entice you with exotic smells and colourful dishes. But what exactly is traditionally eaten in Bali and how?
The origin of Balinese cuisine
The Balinese cuisine was influenced by various cultures. Each ethnic group that settled in Bali brought their own traditions with them, and so the mixture of Chinese, Dutch, Indian and Middle Eastern influences makes the typical Balinese cuisine something very special. It differs somewhat from the cuisine of the rest of the Indonesian islands, not least because of the predominant religion. 88 per cent of the Indonesian population is Muslim, while over 90 per cent of the inhabitants of Bali are Hindus.
And this is where a crucial difference in nutrition arises. Hindus do not eat beef because cows are considered sacred, and Muslims do not eat pork because pigs are considered non-kosher or ‘unclean’. Thus, you will not find any dishes with beef in typical Balinese cuisine, but all the more pork. One of the typical dishes of the island of Bali is suckling pig, called ‘babi guling’.
Due to the local cultivation of rice, the grain is the absolute staple food of Balinese cuisine. Rice is often eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Thanks to the fertile volcanic soil and the ideal climate, numerous types of vegetables and fruit as well as countless palm trees grow on Bali. In addition, the waters are rich in fish and species. All this forms the ideal basis for a diverse, fresh and delicious cuisine.
Ingredients of Balinese cuisine
Rice, rice and more rice. Balinese people like to eat rice with every meal. Even for breakfast. This may sound boring at first, but it is not, because the dishes themselves are very varied and full of flavour. The menu ranges from hearty spicy meat dishes that are cooked for hours to pure vegetable dishes.
Locally grown ingredients
Fresh, local vegetables, coconut, chicken, pork, fish and seafood are used, along with lots of herbs and spices. Ginger, garlic, chilli, turmeric, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are particularly prevalent in Balinese cuisine.
Food with a little heat
Balinese dishes are not generally spicy. However, the classic accompaniment is always a spicy chilli sauce called sambal merah, which can be used to add spice to your meal if you like. This consists of cooked chillies, shallots, tomatoes, garlic, oil, salt and lime juice. Shrimp paste is also occasionally added. This homemade sauce is offered as a classic with meals in most Indonesian restaurants.
In many regions of Bali, you can also get Western dishes such as pizza, pasta or trendy smoothie bowls. So if you don’t eat anything you don’t know, you don’t necessarily have to leave your familiar paths. That would be a shame, though, as you would miss out on the pleasure and broadening of your horizons.
Where and how do you eat in Bali?
Traditionally, Balinese people eat with their right hand from a banana leaf. The right hand is important because the left hand is considered unclean. Rice is the basis for many dishes, which are supplemented by various side dishes and eaten by hand. Alternatively, you can eat with a fork and spoon. You will usually look for a knife in Bali in vain.
Eating in warungs
Bali’s culinary diversity is on offer in a range of establishments. The so-called warungs are particularly typical. These usually offer ‘nasi campur’, which translates as ‘mixed rice’. Numerous dishes are prepared here in the morning and then presented in metal bowls behind a glass pane and eaten during the course of the day. Since the food is not kept warm, by the evening the food is cold. It is therefore advisable to visit these warungs at midday when everything is still fresh and warm.
The individual dishes consist of vegetable variations, meat, fish, egg dishes, fried food and various sauces. These are, of course, served with rice and you can combine them however you like. Sometimes there is self-service, otherwise you point to indicate which dish you would like to have on your plate.
Simple food stalls
In addition to this type of warung, there are typically also small food stalls and stalls or carts on the side of the road, some of which are also called warung. These can also be found at night markets and food markets, where they offer snacks and smaller dishes.
Typical dishes of the Balinese cuisine
In Bali, there are also normal restaurants, called ‘restoran’, where you can order dishes from a menu. Among other things, you will find the following typical Balinese dishes there:
Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng
Probably the most famous dishes in Bali are Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and Mie Goreng (fried noodles). The respective sati spices are fried together with vegetables and supplemented with either chicken or tempeh (fermented soybeans) and tofu. The dish is completed with a fried egg and prawn crackers.
Nasi Campur
Another very popular dish is Nasi Campur (mixed rice). Not to be confused with the food in Nasi Campur warungs, this is a plate dish. In terms of content, however, it is similar to what you can get in the warungs mentioned above: boiled rice with a variety of different side dishes, such as vegetables, meat, fish, tempeh, tofu, egg and prawn crackers.
Gado Gado
A very popular vegetarian dish is Gado Gado. It consists mainly of cooked vegetables, served with peanut sauce, tofu, tempeh and boiled egg.
Sate skewers
These popular skewers consist either of chicken (sate ayam) or fish (sate lilit ikan). The meat is skewered either on a bamboo stick or on a lemongrass stalk, grilled and served with peanut sauce. This typical delicacy is often sold at the side of the road.
Bebek betutu
A very special and elaborate dish is Bebek Betutu. For this, duck meat (bebek) is rubbed with a spice mixture, wrapped in a palm leaf and then smoked in the embers of rice husks for over twelve hours.
Sayur Urab
Another vegetarian dish is Sayur Urab. This salad dish consists of beans, mung and lentil sprouts, as well as spinach. The vegetables are steamed and refined with a chilli dressing and grated coconut.
Babi Guling
On festive occasions, Balinese love to grill a suckling pig as an impressive feast. The so-called Babi Guling (grilled pig) is a very traditional Balinese dish. The piglet is rubbed with turmeric and filled with spicy spice paste before it is put on the spit. It then simmers for several hours over a flame fuelled by coconut shells.
Typical Balinese desserts
The Balinese like their food sweet! Very sweet! Drinks such as tea, iced tea or coffee are usually always prepared with a lot of added sugar, but the desserts are also very sweet.
Pisang Goreng (fried bananas)
This typical dessert consists of bananas fried in dough. They are served sprinkled with honey or palm sugar syrup and, optionally, with vanilla ice cream. This dish is also often eaten for breakfast.
Bubur Ketan Hitam
Another Balinese delicacy is the sweet, black rice porridge called Bubur Ketan Hitam. This is made from black rice, which is cooked in coconut milk for a long time and sweetened with palm sugar. The dessert is similar to our rice pudding and is eaten as a dessert or for breakfast.
Jaja
The traditional green cake is very sweet and is made from rice flour, water, sugar and grated coconut. In the past, it was mainly eaten by rice farmers. Today it is offered at the traditional markets.
Wajik
Wajik is the name of the small, very sweet cakes made from sticky rice, which are often eaten for breakfast or dessert.
Conclusion: Balinese cuisine should be savoured
Balinese cuisine is very diverse, flavourful and extremely affordable. These are the best conditions for trying the variety of the island’s culinary world. The many small warungs, street food markets and restaurants invite you to feast and should be used. After all, what better way to get to know a country and its culture than by trying the local cuisine and chatting with the person at the next table?
