Guest post by Tami T.
Bali has remained one of the most popular destinations for tourism in Indonesia for many years. It is a lush and beautiful province of one the Indonesian islands that is rich in history and culture. From its exotic Balinese dancers to its shadow puppet theater and temples, Bali offers a rich tapestry for the traveler to explore. Balinese food is also a highlight for most tourists seeking out Bali, and it is a good idea to know a few things about this exotic cuisine to prepare the traveler for the experience. Typically, Balinese cuisine can be thought of as a balance of contrasts, with contrasts between flavors, usage, and occasions.
Spices and seasonings have a pronounced and distinctive flavor in Balinese cooking. They tend to be rich, fragrant, and powerful. Spices like coriander, cumin, cloves, and nutmeg will be familiar to most travelers to the country. Pepper is not used as an accompanying spice to bring out certain flavors. Instead, it is used exclusively and in great quantities for certain dishes. Before chili pepper were introduced to the region, pepper was used as a “spicy” ingredient, and so white and black peppers are both used in Balinese cooking. The candle nut is unique to Balinese cooking. It is toxic if it is not cooked.
Balinese cooking shares some similarities to other southeast asian cuisines in its predilection for fragrant roots in the creation of curries and sauces. These include roots like ginger and garlic, turmeric, shallots, and galangal. Galangal is very similar to ginger, but it has a much stronger, more biting flavor, and is responsible for giving many Balinese dishes sweetness as well as punch. The Balinese also have a fondness for fermented fish paste in their cuisine. This gives dishes a rich, savory flavor that is used in place of salt, although the smell uncooked puts many travelers off.
Indonesians in general have a great regard for sweetness in their food, and they are fond of pairing sweet and spicy ingredients in many kinds of dishes, but in meat dishes in particular. In Bali, palm sugar is used as a major ingredient in most dishes, and this has a similar flavor and consistency as brown sugar, but with a richer smokier flavor.
The important thing to remember about Bali is that it is a majority Hindu country, and the people celebrate many festivals and holidays over the course of a year. As a result of this, many of the cuisines of Bali are used only for special occasions, and the traveler will likely be unable to go to a Balinese restaurant while in country. This requires a little planning, but the numerous festivals should give the traveler numerous opportunities to sample curries and tempe. If the traveler is impatient, the street market makes a great place to sample good Balinese street cooking. Satehs are very popular street foods, which are grilled seasoned pieces of meat on sticks, and the markets offer more exotic fruits like the distinctive durian and the jackfruit.
Bali offers a rich variety of intoxicating foods, and anyone familiar with the basics of southeast asian cuisine should be in for a treat. The people are very friendly, and the street markets are numerous.
Tami Therone blogs for www.baliholidays.org.uk where you can read more about traveling in Bali.
