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Balinese
meal of Sate Lilit (top), Yellow Rice, Urap and Grilled Chicken
(right) and Black Rice Pudding with fresh rambutans (left)
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The extravagant
beauty of Bali and its vibrant culture first captured the imagination
of the world in the 1930s, when it was visited by a few adventurous
Dutch colonists, artists and the international jet set (who in those
days actually travelled by ship). Since the arrival of mass tourism
during the 1970s, hundreds of thousands of tourists have descended upon
the "Island of the Gods", yet most leave without having eaten one single
meal of genuine Bali- nese food. How could this peculiar situation have
come about?
Bali, then made up of nine
separate kingdoms, was conquered by the Dutch in 1908. This was later
than most of the other islands of the Dutch East Indies which, together
with Bali, now make up modern-day Indonesia. As early as the 8th century,
Hinduism and Buddhism arrived on the island. Although Java converted
to Islam in the 16th century, Bali has remained to this day staunchly
devoted to the Balinese form of the Hindu religion, which continues
to govern every aspect of life on the island.
With its volcanoes periodically
scattering the land with fertile ash, rivers watering the rice fields
and its balmy tropical climate, the Balinese are able to grow a superb
array of fresh produce. Food, like everything else in Bali, is a matter
of contrast. Just as there is male and female, good and evil, night
and day, there is ordinary daily food and festival food intended for
the gods. Regular daily food is based on rice, with a range of spicy
side dishes including vegetables, a small amount of meat or fish, and
a variety of condiments.
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Food in Bali