Tasting the local cuisine is a very important part of any trip. Bali, in particular, is a place with delicious and surprising food unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before.

Indonesian cuisine is full of flavor and rich in spices. Recipes have a strong influence from many other cultures and backgrounds such as Indigenous people, Muslim, Chinese, Indian and many others. The Indonesian Archipelago is composed of about 17,000 islands, with each of these islands having their own flavors and dishes to be explored.

Rice (or nasi, in Indonesian) is present in almost every meal, including breakfast. As you travel to Bali, you will also see the words soto (soup), goreng (for fried dishes) and sambal (a spicy sauce that is commonly made with pepper, shrimp paste, lemon, sugar and salt). This post will give you a taste of the main food you will find when exploring Bali.

  1. Babi Guling

This is Balinese-style roast pork. The most skeptical will say that it is nothing more than roast suckling pig. But babi guling is more than that.

It is stuffed with coriander, pepper, lemongrass, citronella, a kind of Asian nut, chili paste, turmeric, garlic, ginger and shallots. After being roasted for hours, it is served with rice and vegetables. While the pork meat contributes to the flavor, it is the mixture with the traditional seasonings stuffed in the meat that make babi guling a special dish.

  1. Soto Ayam

Soto ayam is a chicken soup with very thin rice noodles. It is full of flavors and made with ingredients such as lemongrass, ginger, saffron and daun salam (known as Indonesian bay leaf). It can be served with white rice.

  1. Gado-Gado

In Bahasa Indonesia (official language), gado-gado means “mixture”. Gad-gado is a mix of several cooked vegetables such as spinach, green beans, cabbage, cucumber, potatoes, carrots, corn, bean sprouts and served with peanut sauce. Proteins such as egg, tofu and tempeh (fermented soy) are also added.

  1. Ikan Bakar

Very common in coastal areas but also found in many places throughout Bali, ikan bakar is a grilled fish that was previously marinated in a spice paste. It is usually grilled over charcoal and served with white rice.

  1. Satay

The satay, which you can also pronounce as saté, is found in other Southeast Asian destinations. Satay is a chicken, lamb, beef or fish skewer marinated in saffron, grilled and usually served with peanut sauce. Other than the typical peanut sauce, some parts of Indonesia have their own sauces for satay that include spicy and bittersweet sauces.

  1. Beef Rendang

This is typical food of the Minangkabau region, west of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia and very popular throughout the whole country. It consists of beef cooked for a long time with a super aromatic sauce made with coconut milk, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and galangal. When the sauce dries out completely, the meat is full of flavor and super tender, not even needing a knife to be cut.

  1. Nasi and Mie Goreng

Almost all Southeast Asian countries have their own version of fried rice. In this regard, Indonesia is no different: one of the most famous national dishes and loved by Westerners who visit Bali is Nasi Goreng (or Mie Goreng, which is a noodles version of Mie Goreng). Made in the wok with vegetables, eggs and the protein of your choice, it is always served with the traditional krupuk, a shrimp biscuit characteristic of Bali.

  1. Nasi Campur

Still having nasi (rice) in its name, Nasi Campur is a little different from Nasi Goreng as the ingredients are usually separated and the accompaniment is sambal, the spicy sauce.

Nasi Campur is a very popular dish that consists of a portion of rice in the center, surrounded by several small portions of side dishes such as fried fish or shrimp, boiled beef, egg and various types of vegetables (usually you choose the side dishes like buffet style).

  1. Bakso

Found in many street stalls, bakso is super popular throughout Indonesia and consists of beef, pork, fish, shrimp or chicken meatballs (or a peculiar mixture of them) served in a broth with fried onions, boiled egg, vegetables, noodles, tofu and wonton (a dumpling similar to gyoza). For additional flavor it can be served with sambal.

  1. Pisang Goreng

Now you already know that goreng is used for fried food. Pisang Goreng is all about delicious fried bananas, which can include different toppings such as condensed milk, honey or chocolate syrup. Some restaurants, especially the ones for tourists, include other toppings such as ice cream, making it an Indonesian banana split version. It is without a doubt one of the locals and foreigners favorite desserts.