If this is your first time in Asia, we advise you to carefully and gradually join the Balinese cuisine. Some dishes may be “with a fair amount of sparkle”. Although, however, quite calm dishes are also found.
It is he who is the main breadwinner for the Balinese. It is rice that local farmers grow in huge quantities, it is rice that is put in all ceremonial offerings to the gods. No holiday is complete without rice. In Indonesian – nasi.
Basa gede or basa rajang give a special taste and aroma to food in Bali.
Balinese food is by no means vegetarian. The Balinese are very fond of meat and seafood. Sometimes it is not easy for vegetarians to choose a dish in the restaurant menu, but, as they say, whoever seeks will always find. If you do not eat some product, just ask the waiter not to put it. With a probability of 50%, they won’t put it on you and cook it as you need.
Here is a short list of Balinese and Indonesian dishes to try while visiting the island.
Nasi Campur
One of the most common and popular Balinese dishes. Rather, this is not even a dish, but a principle. It is found in almost every restaurant, cafe, masakan padang and other catering places. The range of additives can vary almost on a cosmic scale. Each cafe has its own assortment and recipes.
There are common types of supplements, there are less common. You will almost certainly find eggs in spicy sauce, fried eggplant, stewed pumpkin, fried shrimp in oil, fish head curry, green beans with tofu, stewed chicken in sweet sauce, shrimp chips, etc. Some cafes have a standard set of additives and they will bring you a ready-made dish. Something like adjika, very spicy and fragrant.
Also a very popular dish. The dish is very rich and flavorful. Suitable for children, not spicy.
Babi guling – a young pig roasted on a spit
One of the most specific must-try dishes. Purely Balinese dish, because. the rest of Indonesia is all Muslim and they don’t eat pork. Sausages and other goodies are stuffed from the insides. All this is served with boiled rice and various sauces.
Babi guling is usually sold in certain places. Cafes and restaurants where you can try this dish specially announce that they are preparing this miracle. Therefore, walking along the streets of Bali, pay attention to the signs. Very often there are cafes that specialize only in these pigs. Babi guling is being prepared for several hours, so you will be able to taste it more likely for dinner or lunch. Usually, as soon as the pig is over, the cafe closes.
Bebek betutu – roasted duck
Sometimes there is a variant with chicken – ayam betutu. In both cases, the bird goes through the same procedure. Served again with rice and very tasty peanut sauce. Sometimes with spicy onion and pepper sauce. I also recommend ordering bebek betutu at the restaurant the day before so that they have time to cook it for you.
Sate – kebabs
this is also more of a principle than a dish. In fact, these are small skewers of different types of meat: chicken, beef, shrimp and other seafood. They are baked on wooden sticks, sometimes on a lemongrass stick. Very often you can see how sate is prepared in small local cafes. On the grill, 30-50 sticks are baked at the same time. And if there is a big holiday ahead, then 100 each. But the barbecues are already much larger by that amount. Served again with rice and spicy walnut sauce. The smell of smoke makes these skewers especially fragrant.
Iga Babi Panggang – pork ribs
Another must have dish. Glazed or caramelized pork ribs, incredibly juicy, fragrant and soft. They fall off the bones and melt in your mouth. The ribs are marinated in spices and honey and then grilled. Usually served with baked potatoes and vegetables. This dish is served in many warungs, there are no difficulties with it, but if you come across it, do not deny yourself the pleasure, be sure to try it.
Mie Goreng – fried noodles
This is a dish for every day, but you must also try it to find out what the Balinese eat. Noodles usually look very similar to Rolton instant noodles. In decent restaurants, the noodles are prepared on their own, but they, nevertheless, will also be curly. In simple warungs, they do not disdain noodles a la Rolton. Fried noodles are prepared with chicken, shrimp, seafood, vegetables or an egg. For pasta lovers, this is a real find. Fast, tasty, satisfying, always easy to find.
Nasi lawar
This dish is made from a mixture of vegetables, coconut and minced meat cooked with fragrant herbs and spices. Bloody meat is added to some types of lawar. This gives the dish a special flavor and makes it even more authentic. In this case, the dish should not be stored for a long time (if you buy it to go with you), but eat right on the spot. Nasi lawar is found in almost every restaurant or warung. There may be different Lawar – with chicken, beef, seafood.
