Bali is worldwide famous for its beautiful landscapes, from seascapes to mountain heavens. In addition to its beautiful nature scenery, the island gains its name for its unique, tasty culinary tourism. One of the characteristics of the best food in Bali is its bountiful use of complex spices. The perfect combination of these magical spices is what creates the iconic flavor of Balinese cuisine. They are usually potent, spicy, yet they leave you wanting more. There are various dishes that are actually the talk of the town if you ever visit Bali. It will be a waste if you departed from Bali while still wondering what  Balinese food is like. Bali Villas R Us’ pointers below are worth trying even if it is just once in your life.

#1. You can’t leave Babi Guling if you’re talking about the best food in Bali!

Babi guling became part of the Hindu rituals in Bali and it also makes one of the best food in Bali that is very popular among tourists. The way it is made is unique. Plentiful spices will be stuffed in their belly and the skins are rubbed with special ingredients so they glisten after grills. Served warm or cold, grilled pork meat is just so good and juicy. However, for the skins, you would want them to be hot and crisp so you don’t have a hard time chewing them. You can find vendors that sell Nasi Campur Babi Guling if you are keen to taste it.

#2. Ayam Betutu

It takes a long time when you cooked ayam betutu to produce tender meat in basa genep or Balinese complete spices. It is strong in flavor and usually spicy. Be moderate in your consumption of this meal no matter how delicious it is, unless you can’t wait to spend your whole day in the bathroom.

#3. Lawar

There is a lot of variety of lawar in Bali. Some might be served with raw animal blood as well but don’t worry you might not even taste the blood in any way. The meats often used in Lawar are pork, chicken, and lamb. They are mixed with vegetables and Balinese spices. It is served with rice and often featured in Balinese ceremonies as well.

#4. Nasi Campur, the best food in Bali that everyone likes!

Nasi campur is probably our top recommendation of the best food in Bali because every province in Indonesia has its own special way to serve it. In Bali, Nasi Campur is a combination of rice topped with shredded meat, lawar, Balinese satay, and sometimes with Babi Guling or Ayam Betutu, sambal, sweet fried tempeh, and many more. Every eatery that has a Nasi Campur in its menu might have different ways to top this specialty.

#5. Sambal Matah, the best food in Bali that suits those who like spicy food!

Sambal matah is a famous sambal in Bali. It contains shallots, red chilies, garlic, salt, shrimp paste, lemongrass, limes, and coconut oil. Usually, sambal matah will be served as a condiment of a variety of Balinese food or a topping of Nasi Campur.

#6. Sate Lilit

Another great food in Bali that you must try is Sate Lilit. It is a food made from chopped meat and Balinese spices and grated coconut. There are various kinds of meat that are used for this Balinese dish, such as chicken, pork, and mackerel. If most of the meat satay will be stuck on a skewer, then the meat from this kind of satay will be wrapped around a lemongrass stalk or wood skewer.

#7. Rujak Kuah Pindang, the best food in Bali for a traditional fruit flavorful desert

Rujak Kuah Pindang is a fruit salad from Bali. It contains a mixture of fruits that are cut into small pieces. Afterward, it will be doused with spicy fish stock mixed with grilled shrimp paste and chili. If you like it sweet, you can add some sugar to the mix.

#8. Nasi Jinggo

Nasi Jinggo is an emergency late afternoon to midnight food that comes at a very affordable price. However, it is also served in a small portion, therefore, you might need to order 2-3 of it to make you fully satisfied. The price of Nasi Jingo ranges from IDR5.000 – IDR6.000. It contains rice, shredded chicken, fried noodles, fried tempeh that is cut into small pieces, and a super-spicy chili sauce. The mix is then wrapped in a banana leaf, this creates a flavorful aroma that makes it more addicting.

#9. Serombotan

Say you are a vegan and you love spicy food, we think you are a complete match with one of the tastiest dishes in Bali, Serombotan. Basically, it is vegetables mixed with spicy Balinese dressing. There is a variety of vegetables in Serombotan such as beans, cage, spinach, eggplant, bitter gourd, and bean sprouts. The seller will top it with grated, cooked coconut, and sprinkle some peanuts, and spicy seasoning or Kalas. Kalas consists of a mixture of galangal, mashed turmeric, garlic, shallot, kencur, and coriander.

#10. Lak-lak, the best food in Bali that can be an appetizer or a sweet desert

Lak-lak is a traditional Balinese cake. Rice flour is the main ingredient when you made lak-lak Usually it comes in two colors, green and white. The green color in this food comes from pandan leaves. In addition to giving color to the cake, pandan leaves also serve to create a nice aroma. It is topped with lots of grated coconuts then sprinkled with a brown sugar liquid.

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Have you tried one of these best meals in Bali?

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