What to eat in Bali? Gastronomy
Balinese cuisine
Thanks to its enormous commercial activity, the Gastronomy of Bali is characterized by being a mix of techniques and culinary influences from all over the world, specifically Malaysia, China, southern India and Europe. The Balinese dishes are always served with exquisite presentations. In general meals are usually accompanied by some strong>strong flavors and strong spices, such as fresh ginger, sambal, tamarind, turmeric and the spiciness of raw chilies. Other typical condiments include garlic, coconut milk, shrimp paste and palm sugar.
On the other hand, the basis of its food is rice, pasta, seafood, vegetables and pork, duck or chicken. The Indian Sea also offers a great quantity of food for the Balinese, as for example the appreciated seafood from the fish market of Jimbaran, a fishing port where every day hundreds of boats unload tons of these crustaceans. In Bali you can also eat a lot of fish, especially snapper, ray, mahi mahi and red snapper. We also recommend that you go and try the island’s native fruits at any food market. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know many of the fruits, just buy some and experience a new and delicious flavor for your palate. In many cafes and restaurants of Bali you will see that they serve fruit juices squeezed at the moment. Ask for the mangosteen fruit, it is one of the best!
Where to eat traditional dishes
In Bali you can eat well at a good price, even in the most luxurious restaurants. The best restaurants to eat in Bali are warungs, small family-run businesses that allow you to sample typical Balinese cuisine through a selection of dishes that you can choose and combine. The Jimbaran seafood warungs have an excellent reputation! The Padang restaurants also eat incredibly well. To give you an idea, they are like a free buffet in western culture. Anyway, as we have already commented previously, you can ask for any other style of food if you prefer it, since in Bali also you will find Italian restaurants where to eat pizza up to bars with menus of McDonald’s.
Typical dishesfrom Bali, Indonesia
Nasi Campur
Nasi Campur is a very typical dish of Balinese cuisine that has rice accompanied by vegetables, chicken and pork, vegetables, egg and tempeh (fermented soybeans). This food does not sting, but if you decide to add the hot sauce that they will put on the side, you will notice it in a matter of seconds.
Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng is one of the star dishes of Bali cuisine. It consists of cooking fried rice with soy sauce, fried egg, fried chicken and satay. You will find it everywhere.
Mie goreng
This dish is also part of the most typical gastronomy of Bali. It consists of a delicious dish of roasted noodles. It is a very tasty dish and easy to find in any restaurant on the island
Gado Gado
Gado is a traditional dish composed of different vegetables typical of the region that are seasoned with the exceptional peanut sauce, combined with different spices, soy and fish sauces and lime juice.
Saté or satay
Satay or satay is a delicious dish made with skewers of different meats cooked over charcoal embers. Turmeric, pineapple and peanuts are added condiments.
Satay or saté is a delicious dish made with skewers of different meats cooked over charcoal embers
Rijsttafel
The rijsttafel consists of more than 20 small dishes filled with meat, rice, vegetables and spice. It is believed that the rijstaffel has its origins in Holland, as it is a traditional food of the Netherlands.
The rijsttafel is a traditional food of the Netherlands
Dabu dabu
This is a condiment that generally serves to accompany fish and seafood. Dabu dabu is a mix of red peppers, chili, shallots, red and green tomatoes, salt and sugar. Sometimes lemon juice is also added.
Babi guling
Dish very well known and appreciated in Bali. Babi Guling is a roasted porridge accompanied and stuffed with chili, turmeric, coriander seeds, black pepper, garlic and ginger.
Babi Guling
Otak otak
This is a traditional dish made with different types of fish forming a cake with flour, then grilled. It is very often served wrapped inside a banana leaf.
Perhaps the most popular dish
Lawar
You can find the typical dish of Lawar in any warung on the island of Bali. It is a mix of minced meat, coconut and vegetables accompanied by all kinds of herbs and Balinese spices.
Pempek
A very popular dish in the restaurants of Palembang. Pempek is a mix of fried and battered fish served with cucumber, noodles and black sauce.
The drinks of Bali
As we have already commented previously, the typical drinks of Bali without a doubt are the delicious fruit juices. The Indonesian tea and coffee are also quite good. If you like beer, we recommend trying Bintang Bir and Bali Hai Bir, which really taste very good. The wine in Bali is sold at price of gold due to the astronomical rates Bali pays for imported alcohol. Therefore, if you want to drink a good wine we recommend bringing the bottle on the plane. The laws of Bali permit the introduction on the island of one liter of alcohol per person.
Bajigur: it is a sweet and hot drink ideal to drink when it is cold. It contains coconut milk, Aren sugar, ginger and a pinch of salt.
It is a sweet and hot drink ideal for cold weather
Es Teler: is a fruit cocktail combined with various types of milk and leaves. It has avocado, cincau, jackfruit and coconut meat. It is really delicious.
Jahe Telor: perfect to help fight colds, Jahe Telor is asweet drink made from ginger and raw egg.
Jahe Telor is a sweet drink made from ginger and raw egg
Teh Talua: is a unique type of tea as it is combined with duck or chicken egg yolk, as well as sugar and calamondin.
Teh Talua: is a sweet drink made from ginger and raw egg
Teh Botol: is Jasmine tea sweetened. It is a very famous bottled drink in Indonesia that is served cold.
Bali Brem: this is a type of wine made with rice that you tend not to like much at first, but when you get used to it, you will end up ordering a Bali Brem daily.
As for water, we recommend always drink bottled water, even in hotels! This way you’ll avoid stomach aches and diarrhea.
