Babi Guling Bali

What  do you expect when you go to Bali ? Do you expect to enjoy the exotic beach like Kuta Beach, Tanah Lot, Dreamland Beach at Pecatu Indah Resort ? Or you expect to enjoy Bali culinary like Nasi Pedas and Babi Guling Bali ? I didn’t know what to expect when I went to Bali. I had only met a few people who had been there, and they claimed it was only worth a pit stop on the way to more exotic Indonesian locations such as Sulawesi or East Java. So I was pleasantly surprised that when you got out of the backpacker ghettos of Kuta and the south beaches there was an incredibly interesting and in your face Balinese culture.

Balinese Hindu temples and monuments are everywhere and almost everyday seems to be some kind of special religious day with music and processions from temple to temple. The food has a  unique mixture of Southeast Asian ingredients mixed with Indian flavours that were imported with Hinduism centuries ago. The traditional roast suckling pig /babi guling bali is a good example of this melding of cultures.

Most Balinese eat several times a day at roadside kitchens called warung. A warung is an Indonesian term for a small roadside stall that sells snacks, drinks and convenient household items. However, in Bali a warung is also the local coffee house, corner store and community meeting spot for neighbours to sit and exchange the latest news or gossip. You can find Babi Guling Bali too in some Warung. You can find several warung that sell Babi Guling Bali along the road that towards to Tanah Lot. nasi campur, bakso, and other native dishes can be ordered.

Warung Babi Guling Bali sell the whole roast pig as well, and can be spotted by their signs with the pig painted prominently.

Babi guling bali has a complex mix of flavours. Turmeric, lemongrass, kaffir and chili are all present. The meat is succulent and the piece of skin that comes with it is like a salty caramelized shard of glass.