Traveling to Bali? Discover the 10 culinary specialties you absolutely must taste to delight your palate! The good news? There's something for everyone, whether you're vegetarian, a spice lover, or prefer milder flavors!

1. Nasi Goreng, the Essential Fried Rice

It's one of the most popular dishes in Bali and throughout Indonésie. Translated as "fried rice," this dish was originally created to avoid food waste by repurposing leftovers from the previous meal. Regardless, it has become an essential Indonesian dish.

Its preparation can vary from region to region or from one warung to another, but generally speaking, it consists of fried rice mixed with vegetables with a fried egg placed on top (eggs can also be cooked and mixed in with the rest). For the sauce, it's typically made from kecap manis (soy sauce, chili paste, and shrimp paste blend). The whole dish is often accompanied by cucumber slices and shrimp chips.

Among the different versions of nasi goreng, you'll find:

• Nasi goreng ayam: with chicken,
• Nasi goreng sapi: with beef,
• Nasi goreng udang: with shrimp,
• Nasi goreng seafood: with mixed seafood…

Discover our authentic Indonesian nasi goreng recipe.

2. Mie Goreng, Fried Noodles

Mie goreng is made with exactly the same ingredients as nasi goreng, except rice is replaced by fried noodles.

3. Gado Gado, the Quintessential Vegetarian Dish

Gado gado is a vegetarian culinary specialty. Meaning "mixture," it consists of a blend of crisp steamed vegetables (typically green beans, cabbage, bean sprouts, potatoes...) with hard-boiled eggs, tofu, and tempeh (see end of article). Everything is served with a sauce made from peanuts, chilies, garlic, tamarind, and palm sugar.

4. Betutu, a Dish of Bold Flavors

Betutu refers to a blend of Indonesian spices made from shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, macadamia nuts, peanuts, shrimp paste, and chili. These spices are ground into a paste using a mortar to accompany meat. Typically, betutu covers a duck leg that has been steamed in coconut husk or banana leaves. In this case, it's called bebek betutu. You'll also find it with chicken: bumbu betutu. One thing is certain: this typical dish will appeal to lovers of bold and pronounced flavors.

5. Babi Kecap, Caramelized Pork

Unlike the rest of Indonésie, which is predominantly Muslim, Bali is Hindu. This is why you'll find Balinese pork dishes. One of them is babi kecap. It's simply a pork tenderloin generously coated with kecap, Indonesian soy sauce. With its caramelized flavors, this dish appeals to fans of sweet and savory combinations.

6. Babi Guling, Suckling Pig Served for Festive Meals

Here's a dish that's quintessentially Balinese and arguably the favorite dish of locals. Served only as a festive meal for special occasions such as ceremonies, babi guling is a suckling pig stuffed with spices (garlic, coriander, black pepper, chili...) and roasted on a spit for several hours. What makes it special? The crackling roasted skin of the pig that offers a delightful crunch. It's served with skewers, blood sausage and organ meats, lawar (see below), and of course, rice!

7. Lawar, a Vibrant Dish

Lawar is a typical Balinese dish with vibrant colors and truly complete flavor. It consists of a blend of vegetables, freshly grated coconut, minced meat, fried shallots, and herbs and spices native to Bali. It can be prepared with pork, chicken, or sometimes duck.

Note that there are two types of lawar: lawar Putih (classic white lawar) and lawar Barak / Merah (red lawar), which gets its red color from the inclusion of pork or chicken blood.

8. Sate, Meat Skewers

For barbecue and grilled meat enthusiasts, don't miss sate, an Indonesian street food specialty. These are pieces of marinated meat threaded onto skewers and then grilled over charcoal before being served with sauce.

For your information, sate refers to the name of the sauce that accompanies the meat. It's made from peanut or sesame oil, coconut milk, turmeric, ginger, roasted peanuts, coriander, and soy sauce. As for the meat used, it's typically chicken, but you'll also find versions with beef, pork, lamb, and sometimes fish.

It's worth noting that Bali has its own version of sate: sate lilit. The difference? Instead of meat pieces, minced meat is mixed with spices and coconut and then wrapped around bamboo skewers, sugar cane, and lemongrass before being grilled over charcoal.

9. Tempeh, Fermented Soy Cake

Tempeh is THE specialty that will delight vegetarians traveling in Indonésie but will also surprise non-vegetarians! It's made of fermented soy bean cakes that are fried. Said like that, it might sound strange, but believe us, it's delicious. Its slightly crispy texture gives the impression of eating peanuts. Ultra-rich in protein, it's the ideal alternative to replace meat in most Balinese dishes.

10. Grilled Fish with Sambal Matah

As an island, Bali offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy fresh fish and seafood. Whatever type of fish you prefer, we recommend choosing a barbecue grilled fish with Sambal Matah. Sambal Matah is a spicy Balinese sauce made from chili, shallots, garlic, lime, lemongrass, and coconut oil.

Would you like to discover all the local specialties during a trip to Bali but feel a bit hesitant or don't know where to go? How about being accompanied by a local English-speaking expatriate who can share their insider recommendations? With our "Like a Local: Street Food" experience, you can be guided for half a day, a full day, or an evening to discover Bali's best street food!

Florine Dergelet