Indulging in Traditional Foods in Bali

by Barrie | April 25th, 2011   Tweet

It is said that to get to know a country one must immerse themselves in all aspects of the culture and that includes food. Unlike in the rest of Muslim Indonesia, the Balinese food is somewhat different to other Indonesian foods in that it often includes pork dishes such as lawar, babi guling amongst others, and tends to more spicy. Another factor is that the food is less sweet than its counterparts in the other islands.

As a tourist visiting Bali you will come across an array of dishes and oddly enough, the food most tourists see as Indonesian food actually originates from Java. However, there are several fine restaurants and warungs in Bali that serve traditional Balinese food. It is also recommended that you imbibe in some Javanese food as well and this way you get to taste the foods originating from another island.

Some of the foods you will come across on your epicurean journey will be Bakmi goreng (fried noodle, meat and vegetables), Ayam goreng (fried chicken, often served with rice and lalapan), Gado gado (steamed cabbage, bean sprouts, potato and other vegetables served with peanut sauce), Cap cay (mixed fried vegetables) and Bakso (spicy meatball soup). These are just a few as the list goes on and on. One of my favourites is Urap-urap (a Balinese dish consisting of vegetables in shaved coconut and chilli) is one superb find in any warung or restaurant.

Of course everybody’s favourites you will find on every menu are Nasi Goreng and Sate. Both of which are excellent introductions into traditional cuisine for those new travelling to Indonesia. There are numerous ways to indulge in traditional foods of Indonesia. When you are travelling in the country stop at roadside stalls or when in the tourists areas seek out the night markets. You will be pleasantly surprised.