Regional highlights
Babi guling
Balinese spit-roast suckling pig — the pig is stuffed with a rich paste of turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, coriander seed, black pepper, chili and shrimp paste, then rubbed with the same paste on the outside and rotated slowly over a coconut-wood fire for three to four hours. The result is crisp, crackling-golden skin over moist, spiced meat; the stuffing permeates every layer. A sacred dish in temple ceremonies, but also sold fresh each morning at specialist warungs in Ubud, Gianyar and Denpasar. Warungs often sell out by 10:00.
Lawar
A finely minced and spiced mixture of meat (pork, chicken or jackfruit for the vegetarian version), grated coconut, long beans, shallots, garlic, galangal, shrimp paste and a powerful spice paste. The most traditional version — lawar merah — includes fresh blood from the slaughtered animal, which adds depth and colour; lawar putih is made without. Served at room temperature alongside rice; it is fiercely perishable and made fresh for temple feasts and morning meals only.
Bebek betutu
Whole duck stuffed with an intensely aromatic paste (betutu) of shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, candlenut, coriander and a dozen other spices, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-baked in a sealed clay pot buried in smouldering rice husks for up to 24 hours. The result is fall-off-the-bone tender, deeply perfumed meat with a complexity no shorter cooking time can replicate. A Balinese ceremonial food; order it at least one day ahead at specialist restaurants in Ubud.
Sate lilit
Balinese satay distinct from the mainland skewer style — minced fish (or prawn, pork, chicken) mixed with grated coconut, shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and spices, then wrapped (lilit = to wrap) around a flat lemongrass stalk and grilled over coconut-husk embers. The lemongrass imparts fragrance as the meat cooks; the coconut keeps it moist. Served with sambal matah (Balinese raw chili and lemongrass relish). Ubiquitous at Balinese market food stalls.
Nasi campur Bali
The everyday Balinese meal — a mound of white steamed rice surrounded by small portions of five to eight dishes arranged around it: lawar, shredded pork or chicken, sate lilit, fried tempeh, spiced long beans, sambal, a fried egg and a prawn cracker. The portions are small; the variety is the point. Every warung has its own combination; the best versions include a spoonful of suckling pig from the day's babi guling. Nasi campur is eaten at all hours from breakfast through evening.
Sambal matah
Bali's signature raw chili condiment — thinly sliced shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, small red chilies and dried shrimp paste, dressed with coconut oil and lime juice without any cooking. Vibrantly fresh, fiercely aromatic, with a sharp lemongrass fragrance and a chili heat that builds slowly. Served alongside grilled fish, sate lilit, nasi campur and roast meats. Every Balinese kitchen has its own balance of heat; the version at seaside warungs in Jimbaran is the island's most famous.
Jukut ares
A ceremonial Balinese soup made from the tender inner core of banana trunk — sliced thinly and slow-cooked with spiced pork broth, shallots, galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf. The banana trunk has a starchy, slightly fibrous texture that absorbs the spiced broth entirely; the result is deeply savoury and aromatic. Prepared exclusively for temple ceremonies and Balinese Hindu life-event feasts; not found in regular warungs but sometimes available at ceremonial catering restaurants in Ubud.
Ikan bakar (Jimbaran style)
Whole fish — red snapper, sea bass, grouper or barracuda — marinated in bumbu Bali (the spice paste), grilled over coconut-husk charcoal and basted repeatedly with a tamarind and sweet soy glaze. Eaten directly off the grill at beach warung tables on the sand as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean. Jimbaran Bay is Bali's most famous seafood beach; dozens of seafood warungs line the sand there, all using the same basic method but varying in spice paste quality.
Nasi goreng
Fried rice with kecap manis (sweet dark soy sauce), shallots, garlic, chili, shrimp paste and whatever protein is available — chicken, egg, prawn, pork in Bali. Topped with a fried egg, prawn crackers and fresh cucumber. The Balinese version often uses sambal matah as the heat component and includes more herbs than the mainland equivalent. The most-ordered dish by tourists and a genuine everyday staple for Indonesians. Every warung makes it; quality varies enormously.
Bubuh injin
Black glutinous rice porridge — soaked overnight black sticky rice slow-cooked until thick and soft, sweetened with palm sugar (gula merah) and finished with pandan leaf for fragrance, then served with a generous pour of thick coconut milk. A traditional Balinese breakfast and dessert; the combination of earthy black rice, caramel palm sugar and rich coconut cream is straightforwardly delicious. Found at market stalls and traditional warungs across the island from early morning.