The Rich Flavours of Bali

Babi Guling

Take a look at the unique signature dishes of this favourite travel destination.

Bali is known first and foremost as a holiday destination, bountiful with its beautiful beaches and enchanting natural wonders. That being said, the island also deserves recognition for its signature local cuisine. Just like its culture, Balinese cuisine boasts a certain something that you won’t find anywhere else in Indonesia.

The pillars of the Balinese culinary spectrum are base gede and base genep, two kinds of spice paste that form the basis of most of the local dishes. The richness of the flavours of these two main spice mixes portrays the significance of Balinese dishes – everything is spicier, everything is more piquant.

Bebek Timbungan

On the topic of traditional Balinese food, these few are the ones that usually come to mind: babi guling (suckling pig), ayam or bebek betutu (betutu chicken or duck), and nasi campur (rice with assorted sides). Babi guling is an elaborate dish, where on one plate, you get to enjoy different parts of the pig cooked in various ways. Nasi campur is also an intricate one with individual Balinese culinary delights, like sate lilit, lawar, and ayam betutu, all presented around a serving of rice.

One restaurant that makes a perfect destination when you want to experience the lush spectrum of Balinese cuisine is Bebek Timbungan, which specialises in all things Bali, including the restaurant’s namesake dish, duck that’s slow-cooked for 12 hours inside bamboo. The restaurant also offers other Balinese delights, like crispy duck, sate lilit, sup ares and more.