BALINESE FOOD
Balinese food is a delightful fusion of bold spices and fresh ingredients, offering a unique taste of Indonesia's rich culinary heritage.
Is there a place as lovely in fact as well as fiction?
In our part of the planet few place names conjure up the enchantment of Bali…a promise of lush, exotic, unimaginable fantasy became reality. The daily routine is meticulously and unbelievably complex, with painting, sculpture, dancing, music and the folk arts totally enmeshed in religious ritual.
To really savor Bali as distinct from its neighboring islands, it is instructive to approach it by sampling the island's specialties.
The Balinese "eat to live" as opposed to "living to eat".
When in Rome do as Romans do….a wise old adage ,so, when in Bali, one must surely sample the Balinese Cuisine.
The Balinese food is difficult for the palate of a westerner. Besides being served colt always, food is considered uneatable unless it is violently flavored with a crushed variety of pungent spices, aromatic roots and leaves, nuts, onions, garlic, fermented fish paste, lemon juice, grated coconut, and burning red peppers.
With meat eaten only occasionally, the diet of the Balinese consists, besides rice, corn, and sweet potato, of vegetable and fruits, of which they have a great variety. Besides eggplant, papaya, coconut, bananas, mangoes, oranges, melons, peanuts, and so forth, there are others unknown among us, such as the delicious breadfruit (timbul), jackfruit (nangka) , acacia leaves (twi ) , greens (kangkung) , edible ferns (paku) , and extraordinary fruits such as salak, a pear shaped fruit that grows on a palm, tastes like pineapple, and is covered by the most perfect imitation snakeskin, the delicate jambu, fragrant wani, the rambutan (a large sort of grape inside of a hairy transparent pink skin), the famous mangoesteen (manggis) for which a prize was offered by Queen Victoria to anyone who found the way to bring the fruit in good condition to (England), and the stinking durian (duren in Bali).
Although the Balinese are not fond of sweets, they make a delicious dessert of coconut cream with cinnamon, bananas, or breadfruit steamed in packages of banana leaf.
So, Balinese Cuisine is quite a taste trip. It's spicy and distinctive reflecting the island's Hindu identity. So, prepare the taste buds for a treat and head up to a special "warung" food stall or sample home cooking. When in Bali…
Salak
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Balinese social life is dominated by a form of Hinduism that is tinted with animistic beliefs .in the sixteenth century many of the nobles and intellectuals of Hindu Java fled to Bali, a neighboring island and colony, to resist the onslaughts of Islam.
The Balinese was already influenced by the cuisines of Indian and Chinese settlers would over the years accept culinary ideas. As Indonesian has forget itself into an independent nation Bali, without giving up any of its own diversified culinary heritage ,has added to its menus a host of dishes from Java and Sumatra .
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Balinese social life is dominated by a form of Hinduism that is tinted with animistic beliefs .in the sixteenth century many of the nobles and intellectuals of Hindu Java fled to Bali, a neighboring island and colony, to resist the onslaughts of Islam.
The Balinese was already influenced by the cuisines of Indian and Chinese settlers would over the years accept culinary ideas. As Indonesian has forget itself into an independent nation Bali, without giving up any of its own diversified culinary heritage ,has added to its menus a host of dishes from Java and Sumatra .
1. Sate (of/beep/pork/chicken/duck/fish, etc)
Sate Lilit is a traditional Balinese satay made from finely minced meat, mixed with aromatic spices, and skillfully wrapped around sticks of lemongrass or bamboo, offering a fragrant and flavorful culinary experience.
How to make sate:
First, the meat is ground and mixed with grated coconut, coconut cream and mixture of fried red peppers, garlic, ginger root, trasi (shrimp-paste), turmeric, nutmeg, coriander, and black pepper.
This deliciously seasoned, delicate paste is carefully wrapped around one and of thick bamboo sticks and barbecued.
2. Lawar (of beep/pork/chicken/duck/fish, etc)
Lawar is a traditional Balinese dish made from a delicious mix of minced meat, freshly chopped vegetables, grated coconut, and a blend of vibrant spices, carefully prepared to create a flavorful and aromatic side dish often served during important ceremonies and daily meals.
How to make lawar:
Raw blood, thinned with limejuice to prevent coagulation, acts as a kind of dressing and is cooked briefly with boiled or raw seasoned slivers of the meat. This salad like dish is liberally sprinkled with green chili peppers and some times contains pieces of green jack fruit, string beans, ferns, grated coconut, an absolutely scrumptious-vegetable.
3. Betutu (of duck or chicken)
Betutu is a traditional Balinese dish consisting of whole chicken or duck marinated with rich spices, wrapped in banana leaves, and slow-cooked until tender, offering a bold and aromatic flavor often served during special ceremonies and festive occasions.
How to make betutu:
Duck or chicken is often rubbed with tamarind, turmeric, salt and stuffed with a spicy, aromatic paste containing red peppers, shallots, and lemon grass. The birds is then wrapped in palm stem or banana leaves, the naturally greased aluminium foil of this region, and either steamed or baked. This dish is so good that is considered a worthy offering for the gods or priest who comes to handle ceremonies in the family home or temple.
4. Pelecing siap/ayam("devil" chicken, because it can be very).
Ayam Plecing is a spicy Balinese dish featuring grilled or fried chicken served with plecing sauce, a fiery blend of chili, tomato, lime, and traditional spices, creating a bold and zesty flavor typical of Balinese cuisine.
How to make:
A whole bird is cut long the back, flattened, and grilled over charcoal. It is subsequently cut into serving pieces, pounded lightly, and cooked with a thick hot spice paste ("sambal pelecing").
5. Nasi kuning, a special yellow rice.
Nasi Kuning is a fragrant Indonesian rice dish cooked with turmeric, coconut milk, and spices, giving it a vibrant yellow color and rich flavor, often served with various side dishes for celebrations or special occasions.
How to make:
To make the dish, coconut milk is first poured through a strainer containing grated fresh turmeric. and than brought to a boil. Partially cooked rice, both long grain and glutinous, is folded in and left to absorb liquid. A final steaming with the addition of fragrant pandanus leaves finishes off the preparation.
It is mounted on a platter, festooned with egg stripes, cucumber slices, and fried beans and grated coconut.
6. Jukut Ares (spicy soup of young banana palm)
Jukut Ares is a traditional Balinese dish made from Ares leaves (Athyrium esculentum), a type of mountain fern. The leaves are cooked with Balinese spices, creating a unique flavor and soft texture rich in nutrients.
How to make:
Finely sliced young banana palm (after washed with fresh water) soaked with salt, spices and followed by meat (chicken/duck/pork, etc) and cooked until tender.
7. Jukut Urab (spicy vegetable salad)
Jukut urab is a traditional Balinese dish consisting of mixed vegetables, such as long beans, spinach, and cassava leaves, cooked with Balinese spices and then mixed with toasted grated coconut, offering a delicious flavor and unique texture rich in nutrients.
How to make:
Mixed vegetable, after steamed or boiled, soaked with salt, spices, grated coconut and fried/boiled red beans/soya beans.
8. Raon (spicy meat soup)
Raon Bali is a traditional Balinese dish, a fresh vegetable salad consisting of mixed greens like long beans, spinach, and cassava leaves, combined with grated coconut, Balinese spices, and sometimes served with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, creating a delightful fusion of flavors and textures.
How to make:
Meat (beep/pork/chicken/duck) cut into cubes or thinly sliced and cooked with red peppers, shallots, tamarind, ginger roots, turmeric, bay leaf, lemon grass, salt, shrimp-paste (terasi) and other flavor.
9. Babi Guling.
Babi Guling is a popular Balinese dish, a whole roasted pig slow-cooked over an open flame with traditional Balinese spices, resulting in a deliciously flavorful and aromatic culinary experience.
How to make Babi Guling:
To make Babi Guling, marinate a whole pig in a spice paste made from coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic, galangal, and lemongrass. Stuff the cavity with kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass, then roast over medium heat until crispy and golden brown. Baste with coconut water regularly and serve with steamed rice, vegetables, and sambal
BABI GULING (ROASTED PIG)
Babi Guling (roasted pig) is a specific Balinese cuisine. It is called a specific cuisine as nearly all of Balinese people know it. such a food can be found everywhere in this paradise island. The term of Nguling (verb) means to make babi guling. This term has been famous throughout the island. The word Nguling also has a special meaning that is an indication of a glorious event such as ritual ceremony, festival, marriage and other important day, which commonly can not be the found in a usual day. But in the term of commercial purposes it can be found in a special stall, restaurant which provide its menu with babi guling. A part from that most people make babi guling for paying their promises to the God or ancestor or mesangi nguling (local term). It is done because the God has grated their intention such as they have been successful to carry out their mission or may be they win a competition or other activities that make them profitable.
The babi guling for ritual purpose are presented to the God by a priest or leader of ceremony in order the God receives the presentation. It this time all families should witness the ceremony and pray together. When the ceremony was over they may jointly eat it. the babi guling is not only for their families at home, but also for other relatives (jotan). The word jotan has been familiar in Bali. it is not only for the people, but also for evil spirits. It is commonly a small sacrifice of food, dedicated for Bhuta Kala (evil spirit) in order they do not disturb the ceremony.
How the process of making Babi Guling
Commonly the Babi guling is made from small pig. It is roasted completely (all body) on a fire, after it has been cleaned its leather and intestines. Its stomach is filled with medium cooked base genep or base begalo, mixed with young cassava leaves. Base gede is a mixture of spices consisting of grater galingale, turmeric, kamferia galanga, ginjer, white pepper, red pepper, candlenut, a fish paste made from shrimps and other worse fish, citronella grass, clove, salt, union, garlic coriander, seed and etc. base begalo is similar to base genep, but most part of it consisting of citronella grass. All the intestines should be drown out and replaced it with the medium cooked mixed spices and tied it with string. The pig is stickled with some two meters-long bamboo or tree through its mouth and buttock. After word the pig is roasted on a fire (live coals) gradually. After the pig is cooked, the bamboo or tree, which was used to stick it, should be taken again. The roasted pig is placed in a certain place and ready for dishes.
Others food
Sate
Nasi Goreng
Mie Goreng
Ayam Goreng
Cap Cay
Gado-Gado
Rujak
Padang Food
Bali's Traditional Drinks.
Arak
Brem
Tuak
