Balinese cuisine is a cuisine tradition of Balinese people from the volcanic
island of Bali. Balinese Cuisine is one of the most complex cuisines in the
world. Using an incredible variety of spices, blended with the fresh
vegetables, meat and fish. Part of Indonesian cuisine, it demonstrates
indigenous traditions, as well as influences from other Indonesian
regional cuisine, Chinese and Indian. The island's inhabitants are
predominantly Hindu and culinary traditions are somewhat distinct with
the rest of Indonesia, with festivals and religious celebrations including
many special foods prepared as the offerings for the deities, as well as
other dishes consumed communally during the celebrations.
Rice is almost always consumed as a staple accompanied with vegetables, meat
and seafood. Pork, chicken, fruit, vegetables and seafood are widely
utilized, however just like most of Hindus, beef is never or rarely
consumed. Bali is a popular tourist destination,
and the area has quite a lot of cooking schools with daily courses of Balinese
cuisine. Night markets, warungs, and fruit vendors sell local delicacies.
Festivals include ornately prepared foods as part of the celebrations. As a
popular tourist area, many westernized foods are also available as well as
other regional ethnic cuisines. Rice
Bali has a strong rice agriculture traditions in Indonesia, as evidence
through centuries old intricate network of sophisticated Subak irrigation
system. The Balinese water temples regulates the water allocation of each
village's ricefields in the region. Balinese Hinduism revered Dewi Sri as an
important rice goddess. Her and other deities colorful effigies made from
colorful sticky rice are often made during religious ceremonies.
Spices and seasonings Basa gede, also known as basa rajang, is
a spice paste that is a basic ingredient in many Balinese dishes. Basa gede form
the cornerstone of many Balinese dishes. Its ingredients include garlic, red
chili peppers, Asian shallots, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, palm sugar, cumin,
shrimp paste and salam leaves. Balinese dishes are punctuated by basa
genep, the typical Balinese spice mix used as the base for many curry and
vegetable dishes. As well as bumbu used as a marinade. Tabia lala manis, which
is a thin soy sauce with chili peppers, and sambal matah are popular condiments.
Dishes Balinese foods include lawar, Bebek
betutu, Balinese sate known as sate lilit made from spiced mince pressed
onto skewers which are often lemon grass sticks, Babi guling also known as celeng
guling. In Bali, the mixed rice is called nasi
campur Bali or simply nasi Bali. The Balinese nasi campur version of mixed
rice may have grilled tuna, fried tofu, cucumber, spinach, tempe, beef cubes,
vegetable curry, corn, chili sauce on the bed of rice. Mixed rice is often
sold by street vendors, wrapped in a banana leaf.
Betutu is eaten in Bali as well as Lombok, and West Nusa Tenggara. It is a
roasted poultry dish with spices. Lawar is a traditional vegetable and meat dish
in Bali Vegetable and meat dish served with rice. It consists of shredded
unripe jackfruit, young banana flower, a liberal amount of pork rind bits, raw
pig blood. These are mashed with herbs such as lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves,
shallots, and garlic. Babi guling is a Balinese-style roast pork comparable to
Hawaiian luau-style pig. Other common Indonesian dishes are
easily found, such as tempe and tofu are used. Sambal dishes are also served.
Bakso, a meatball or meat paste made from beef surimi, can also be found.
Beverages Balinese coffee, Kopi Bali, and hot tea,
teh panas are popular. Tea is often served with sugar and condensed milk,
susu. Brem is Balinese rice wine alcoholic beverage. It is made from
fermented mash of black or white glutinous rice using a dry-starter,
which called as Ragi tape. Ingredients
Pork, chicken, seafoods and vegetables are widely consumed.
Spices include Kaempferia galanga, shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger and
Kaffir lime are used in Balinese cuisine. Balinese 8-spice is made with
white pepper, black pepper, coriander, cumin, clove, nutmeg, sesame seed, and
candlenut. Palm sugar, fish paste, and basa gede are used.
Fruits include rambutan, mangoes, mangosteen, bananas, jackfruit,
rambutan, makiza, nangka, pineapple, salak, duku, kelengkeng, wani, papaya,
longan, white mango, melon, oranges custard-apple, coconut and durian.
Dishes Babi guling, roasted suckling pig,
famous in Bali Betutu, steamed or roasted poultry
highly seasoned. A specialty of Bali and Lombok
Bubur Sum-Sum, rice porridge with palm sugar sauce and grated coconut.
Bubur Injun, black sticky rice with coconut milk.
Bantal, packages of sticky rice, coconut, sugar and fruit.
Iga Babi, Balinese pork ribs Kopi Luwak, also called civet coffee or
“poo coffee”. It is named after the practice of weasel-like animals called
civets let loose into coffee plantations at night to eat coffee berries then poop
out the coffee beans which are collected, washed and roasted over a
fire. Lawar, mixed vegetables and other
ingredients Nasi Bali, rice with various dishes
Sate Babi Sate Lilit, spiced mince meat on a stick
Soto Babi, pork soto Sayur Urab, mixed salad
Bumbu Bali, Balinese spice of basa genep, commonly used as flavouring agent
for chicken, fish or meat. Ayam bumbu Bali means chicken in Balinese spice
mixture. See also
References Further reading
Bali Unveiled: The Secrets of Balinese Cuisine - Heinz Von Holzen. Retrieved
2013-07-01. Street Foods of Bali - Heinz von Holzen.
Retrieved 2013-07-01. Balinese Food: The Traditional Cuisine
and Food Culture of Bali. Dr. Vivienne Kruger, Ph.D.
Forty Delicious Years 1974-2014. Murni's Warung, Ubud, Bali: From Toasted
Sandwiches to Balinese Smoked Duck. By Jonathan Copeland, Rob Goodfellow, and
Peter O'Neill Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the
Morning of the World, Jonathan Copeland and Ni Wayan Murni,(Orchid Press,
September 2010) External links
Media related to Cuisine of Bali at Wikimedia Commons