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Balinese
Cuisine
Ever Popular
In earlier times, overseas visitors chiefly
came to Bali to sample the cultural and
traditional delights of Bali rather than
to taste Balinese cuisine. However, in synchrony
with the gradual development of tourism
on this island, Balinese food has now started
to become popular among foreign tourists.
 Apart
from chicken cooked with Balinese spices,
‘lilit’ satay dressed in grated
coconut and roast suckling pig (‘babi
guling’) are also popular among tourists.
In fact, ‘babi guling’ has appealed
to westerners’ tastes since Dutch colonial
times in the early 1900’s.
The King of Gianyar, for instance, often
served ‘babi guling’ during the
official reception of guests including Dutch
colonial rulers. Denpasar’s Bali Hotel
was also accustomed to serving rice with
various meats, (‘nasi campur’)
a Balinese creation, to entertain guests
in the pre-independent times in Indonesia.
The popularity of Balinese cuisine among
tourists is apparent with the serving of
special foods to groups of Europeans, Americans,
or Australian tourists in many places. For
example in Ubud, the ‘babi guling’
menu is a regular favourite. ‘Usually,
when we have groups on Bali Tours, we generally
serve Balinese food,” Ida Bagus Lolec
said. The crispy, hot skin of ‘babi
guling’ is one of the reasons why tourists
are so fond of roast suckling pig.
During the last ten years, Balinese cuisine
has become a standard part of the menu offered
to guests in hotels and restaurants of international
standards, such as Grand Hyatt (Nusa Dua),
The Ritz Carlton (Jimbaran), Santika Bali
Hotel (Kuta), Inna Grand Bali Beach (Sanur),
and ‘Bumbu Bali’ restaurant in
Tanjung Benoa Resort.
Books on Balinese recipes and practical
and modern techniques on cooking have been
in circulation for a long time as a result
of the ever-growing popularity of Balinese
cuisine. One such book entitled ‘Food
of Bali, Authentic Recipes from the Island
of the Gods’ cooked up by the chefs
of Grand Hyatt Bali, was published in 1993
by Periplus. It s still on sale in book
shops together with books on regional cuisine
from other countries such India and Thailand.
Cooking Classes
Many tourist bureaus and hotels have also
put together special ‘cooking class’
packages for visitors. “In general
these cooking classes are unique in character
according to the establishment,’ explained
Roy Khoo, Executive Chef of The Ritz Carlton.
This hotel hosted a 120-member group from
Hermee Company in Singapore, for cooking
classes last year.
Cooking class at The Ritz Carlton usually
last for two days. This includes teaching
and involving participants in the art of
Balinese food preparation, and also invites
them to see local Balinese kitchens so they
can learn about authentic methods of cooking,
traditional market places for the purchase
of spices, and also a visit to the local
fish market at Jimbaran Beach.
“The introduction of culture also plays
an important role in our cooking classes”
said Roy Khoo, who has worked for 12 years
in various places in the world with The
Ritz Carlton hotels. The fee for the complete
cooking class package is US$ 300, inclusive
of tours and food consumption by participants.
It is interesting, according to Khoo, to
know the prerequisite of having fresh raw
ingredients of spices or of organic origin,
free from chemicals or preservatives or
additives, to cook Balinese food in Bali.
“ It is in the process of grinding
these spices that produces the agreeable
aroma and the essential flavour of Balinese
food,” he added saying further that
the use of a blender in crushing the spices
diminishes the flavour.
The
popularity of Balinese food has not only
reached restaurants and hotels in Bali,
but it is also catching on in overseas restaurants
and hotels. Take the example of Hotel Sheraton
Noosa, in Queensland, Australia. Sheraton
Noosa has repeatedly organised a “Balinese
Food Festival” since the year 2000.
The festival organizer has invited chefs
from Bali and Balinese art teams to take
part and to enjoy the event.
Such promotion is certainly beneficial for
Bali. Even though visitors to Bali may not
come specifically to enjoy the local cuisine,
it is unlikely that they will return home
before they have sampled some of the local
delights, and that in itself provides yet
another unique taste of Bali. (dap)
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