The most fantastic advice in traveling; do what the locals do. Acting like a local means behaving like you would if it was your home, while learning the huge part of experience in travelling, it is getting to know the local traditions, history and culture. Thankfully, you can get in touch with all that three aspects just by eating the local food. Just like a a legendary quote by George Bernard Shaw, “there is no sincerer love than the love of food”, make yourself craving for a true taste of the local food, something that you can only find and taste in Bali.
Bali offers a hundred things to do. If you’re a relaxed kind of person, you can enjoy walking through a green rice field. If you are an adrenaline junky, you will amaze by many surf worthy beaches around here. If you’re a kind of person who seek for peacefulness, Bali is surely known for the spiritual retreats. And for you the foodies? Bali is also a foodie heaven if you know where to look! Try the local food or popularly called, Street Food.
Here it is, the list of some popular street food to fill your bucket list with the price range from IDR 5000 – IDR 10000.
Blayag, originally from North of Bali, is a cooked-rice that wrapped in a young coconut leaf, served with egg, chicken shredded, bean sprouts, chili sauce (sambal, in Bahasa), and curry sauce (made from coconut). They use many spice, blend into the sauce. That gives an interesting flavor. The taste is really varied ranging from savory, slightly sweet, and spicy. Easily found in a local market or warung.
Nasi tepeng, a breakfast choice from Gianyar. The texture is solid yet soft, somewhere between rice and porridge. Served with fried chicken shredded, eggs, beans, eggplants and serundeng (shredded coconut fried with a myriad of spice, you can only find this in Bali). If you don’t feel like eating your meal at the local market, but rather in your homestay or hotel? Ask for wrap it in banana leaves.
You will find salad in a western country, but Bali also has its own vegetables culinary, more like a traditional salad, known as Serombotan. Originaly from Klungkung, this typical food is served a mixture of vegetables such as long beans, spinach, bean, rounded eggplants, bean sprouts, and bitter melon. Meanwhile, the marinade is known as Kalas, which is like a milk mixed with turmeric powder, shallots, and garlic.
Spicy fruit salad with tuna fish marinade soup, or Rujak Kuah Pindang. In Bali, you can try this unique culinary that are sold in little food stall at the roadside. Taste the spicy and fresh sensation in your tongue when you eat the mangoes slices or other kinds of fruits, along with the tuna fish marinated soup, combine with super spicy chilly!
Lawar, a mix of vegetables, coconut and minced meat drowned in rich herbs and spices (including shrimp paste, ground pepper, green beans and jackfruit), sometimes added with blood to intensify the taste. It’s a very common dish that you will find across most warung in Bali. Usually served with steamed rice and babi guling. A perfect combination!
Shallots, lemongrass, shrimp paste, garlic, lime zest, and chillies… All raw and fresh. Combine it all together. You named it, it is Sambal Matah. A special condiment to your main dish. You can nearly put it in every food you have; grilled fish, chicken, or maybe tuna steak. Taste spicy, juicy, salty and fresh.
Balinese Cakes. No, you will not find any chocolate chips like in Good Time biscuits here. Oftenly called Jajan Bali or Jaja Bali, a mix of sweet cakes will indulge your tongue. The most popular is Laklak (a rice-flour muffin with grated coconut and drizzled with palm sugar caramel), and Pisang Rai (steamed banana with grated coconut). Perfect for your companion in afternoon tea.
So, what are you waiting for? Skip the fancy restaurant because the biggest adventure is yet to come!