5 Best foods to try in Bali – An underrated aspect of Bali

Also written as sate, this is meat which is marinated and skewered before being placed on a grill. The choice of meat can vary, with chicken, mutton or pork being the most common offerings but there are other options too. Bali has its own version of the satay, which is called the sate lilit. Usually made of the three varieties mentioned above, there are certain places where even turtle meat is made use of. Coconut milk and a range of oriental spices are used to add flavour. The meat is then lanced with bamboo and grilled. A crowd favourite, you can easily find sate lilit in most restaurants in Kuta, Bali.

This is basically chicken rice, but with a Balinese twist to the dish. Available at most hotels such as Holiday Inn Resort Baruna Bali, this is white rice that contains some of the most tantalizing Bali tidbits. Meat is served in the form or babi buling or betutu along with sambal and vegetables to top it off. In certain restaurants, soup is included with the dish. Be warned though, the sambal is known to quite spicy.

A classic Bali dish that has remained a favourite throughout the ages, this is a dish where an animal, usually duck or chicken, is stuffed with spice and then wrapped in a layer of banana leaf followed by a layer of banana tree bark. It is then cooked on a coal fire for around six hours. The bones then separate itself of the meat quite easily. This slow cooked dish is rich in taste, making it the perfect dish for meat lovers.

Babi Guling is quite similar to Bebek and Ayam Betutu in terms of preparation. However, instead of duck or chicken, spit roasted pig is used. It is stuffed with spice and slowly cooked over a coal fire. As with Bebek and Ayam Betutu, it is juicy and rich in taste. It was once a seasonal dish served only during festivals, but thanks to its amazing taste, it is now widely served at street food stalls and restaurants alike. Rest assured, getting your hands on Babi Guling is not a difficult task anymore.

A multifaceted dish, Tahu and tempe can be served in a number of forms. Sometimes they are served as snacks, on other occasions as a side dish and in some situations, it is laid on the table as the main course. Furthermore, you can fry them, batter them or stuff them. Basically, the possibilities are endless. Most dishes in the country that contain rice offer tempe crackers as an addition to the meal. Meanwhile, tahus are preferred in the stuffed form after which it is fried. The final Tahu dish closely resembles spring rolls.