Daniel LimSome might say the best way to immerse yourself in the local Balinese culture is through experiencing their cuisine – and this could not be more true! Beyond just feasting on some good Balinese cuisine, you should also try your hand at whipping up an authentic Balinese meal so that you can enjoy some of those delicious Balinese dishes anytime, anywhere.
Balinese cuisine is known widely for its fragrant and spicy flavours, and cooking classes are one of the best ways to get the complete Balinese culinary experience! That is why we have compiled a list of top ten cooking classes from the different regions of Bali (Seminyak, Denpasar, Kuta, Ubud, North Kuta and Canggu) for you to choose from, when visiting Bali.
Nia Bali Seminyak Cooking Class (in the Seminyak region)
Image credit: Everett Harper
This traditional cooking class starts off with a morning visit to a local market, where participants will be introduced to a wide selection of local Balinese ingredients. Then, participants will get their shot at learning how to prepare up to 12 different Balinese dishes. This includes popular Balinese favourites such as the base be pasih (spice paste for seafood), base be siap (spice paste for chicken), ayam betutu Bali (roasted chicken in banana leaf) and be celeng base manis (pork in sweet soy sauce).
Capped at a class size of 15 participants, this cooking course is intentionally kept small so that participants can get a more personal learning and cooking experience! You will also walk away with a complimentary cookbook and a certificate of completion at the end of the day – alongside the satisfaction of having made your own local Balinese dishes that you can now recreate at home.
Price: About $70SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this cooking class.
Kin Vegan Cooking Class: Healthy Balinese Vegan Cooking (in the Seminyak region)
Image credit: Kin Vegan Cooking Class
This one goes out especially to our vegan and vegetarian readers!
In this cooking class, participants will get the chance to prepare some authentic vegan and vegetarian Balinese cuisine with fresh ingredients like nuts and aromatic herbs. Under the guidance of a professional chef, participants will learn how to make dishes such as tempeh curry, sweet crunchy tempeh, mushrooms in banana leaves, tempeh and tofu satay and a steamed pumpkin cake.
Covering main courses, salads and dessert, these vegan dishes that you will learn to create have been refined and perfected so that you get a nutritionally-balanced and tasty meal! Who says you can’t have Balinese cuisine that is both healthy and delicious?
Price: About $50SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this cooking class.
‘Private Balinese Cooking Experience and Garden Tour’ with Dewa (in the Ubud Region)
Image credit: Shura
In this cooking class, you will get a chance to prepare some authentic and mouth-watering balinese dishes, all within the confines of a traditional Balinese compound in a local village. The host, Dewa, or one of his equally-friendly family members will guide you along the cooking and garden tour, where you will be introduced to various exotic Balinese fruits, herbs and spices such as nutmeg and galangal.
You will then attempt to cook popular local dishes like the pepes ikan (grilled tuna in banana leaves), bumbu kuning (chicken in a fresh turmeric and coconut milk sauce) and bregedel (hand-ground corn fritters) using a traditional wood-fired oven. As this is a private cooking experience, you will get the undivided attention of the host, who will walk you through the full recipe at the dining table over some local beer. This local cooking experience will not get any more authentic than this!
Price: About $72SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this cooking class.
Raw Food Bali (in the Ubud Region)
Image credit: Raw Food Bali
Raw Food Bali has been around the local raw food scene since 2008 and is dedicated to promoting organic and healthy living. Using only the freshest of ingredients from local farms such as organic vegetables and tropical fruits, you will learn how to make a wide variety of raw food – from savoury main courses to decadent dessert options!
Some of these tantalising dishes that you will be making include a vegan cheesecake, carrot cake, pineapple sorbet and Pad Thai noodles. You will also learn about superfoods like organic raw cacao beans and irish moss and use them in some of your dishes. Eating healthy has never been more simple!
Price: From $107SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this cooking class.
Authentic Coconut Oil Making Workshop (in the Canggu Region)
Image credit: Richard Allaway
Coconut oil is often highly sought after for its highly-nutritious value and many health benefits. It is also commonly found in hair and skin care products and consumed as a health food in itself.
Inspired by her mother and grandmother, Novi seeks to bring her passion for coconut oil making to the table, by imparting to you a step-by-step guide to make 100% pure coconut oil. In this class, you will be harnessing coconut oil directly from fresh coconuts. This will involve several steps in the preparation, which includes grating, squeezing and boiling the coconut flesh before the final coconut oil product is obtained.
At the end of the session, you will get to bring home your very own home-made coconut oil and enjoy some tropical fruits together with Novi. Although this is nowhere near a cooking class, we certainly could not leave coconut oil making out from this list, especially if you will be visiting Bali – the land of fresh coconuts!
Price: About $27SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this coconut-oil making class.
‘Cooking with an Expert in Canggu: Different Menus from All Around Indonesia’ Cooking Class (in the Canggu Region)
Image credit: heni tanseri
In this cooking class, you will have the opportunity of meeting Chef Will Meyrick, one of the most renowned chefs on the island who has successfully opened five different restaurants in Bali. For Chef Meyrick, the secret behind his delicious and appetite-whetting dishes is his unrelenting curiosity and love for the local culture. He can be found at local markets and street food stalls as he seeks to better understand the complex local flavours of authentic Balinese cuisine.
In this professional cooking class, you will have the choice of learning up to five different recipes from Chef Meyrick’s restaurants and you can even select your own chef. With a large variety of dishes from the different regions of Indonesia to choose from, you will definitely be spoilt for choice!
So if you are looking for the complete gastronomical experience when in Bali, then this cooking class might just be the thing for you!
Price: About $125SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this cooking class.
Balinese Mixology (in the North Kuta region)
Image credit: Quang Nguyen Vinh
A highly-qualified mixologist and a barista expert, Sophia arrived on the shores of Bali after spending six years in Noma, a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen. Her passion and love for mixology inspired her to pioneer this balinese mixology class, where participants can attend a highly-personalised one-hour mixology session that will cover the basics of cocktail-making.
In this class, you will get a chance to sample different house infused Araks. Arak is a balinese liquor distilled from tuak, which is a sweet wine made from the coconut palm flower. There will also be guided cocktail-making demonstrations using some local Balinese ingredients, which will involve an eclectic mix of fruits, herbs and spices in your cocktails. This class will definitely leave you walking away having experienced some of the most unique locally-inspired cocktails (but hopefully sober enough to return home)!
Price: About $40SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this mixology class.
‘Learn a Life of Balinese Farmers’ – Farm-to-table Cooking Class (in the North Kuta region)
Image credit: Isabel Sommerfeld
The experience starts off with a visit to a farmer’s farm and house, where you will don a bamboo hat and carry a basket. With your farm gear on, you will walk through the farms, and be involved in planting and harvesting of some vegetables and herbs.
After you have harvested your ingredients for your meal, you will go on to prepare your own Balinese lunch banquet in the outdoor kitchens. The dishes are typically served on traditional banana leaves and coconut husks instead of porcelain plates and bowls, where you will enjoy the sumptuous spread and eat with your hands. There is simply no other way to experience the local life in Bali than through this farm-to-table experience!
Price: About $45SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this farm-to-table cooking class.
Tempeh Making Tour & Vegetarian Cooking Class (in the Denpasar region)
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This is definitely the tour for you if you are a tempeh lover!
Tempeh is an Indonesian staple made from fermented soybeans and is rich in protein and other nutrients. In this tour, you will first be introduced to the process of tempeh-making by one of the local tempeh producers, before returning to the host’s house to prepare your vegetarian lunch.
With tempeh as the key ingredient in some dishes, you will be learning to cook a total of six different vegetarian Balinese dishes. These dishes include sayur urab (a vegetable dish comprising some greens and beans mixed with grilled grated coconut) and other local vegetarian dishes. After the vegetarian-based lunch spread, you will walk away with a personalised recipe book – without any guilt of eating unhealthily!
Price: About $53SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this tempeh making tour and cooking class.
‘Chef Bagus Balinese Cooking Class with Market Tour’ (in the Kuta Region)
Image credit: Richard Ha
This cooking class starts off with a local market visit in the morning, where you will explore the different types of local produce and also source for fresh ingredients for the meal you will be preparing later.
Thereafter, you will be greeted by renowned local chef, Chef Bagus, who will be guiding you and other participants to cook over ten different local balinese dishes. From sinful dishes like the roasted chicken in banana leaf and braised pork in sweet soy sauce, to lighter options like the green papaya salad, you will be treated to a delightful spread of local Balinese dishes that will leave you craving for more! Lucky for you, you can now recreate the very same dishes anytime you’re craving them after this cooking class!
Price: About $52SGD
Click here if you would like to find out more about this cooking class.
So there we have it, our list of top 10 recommended cooking classes that you should consider checking out if you are looking for the complete Balinese culinary experience! Let us know if you have participated in any of the above cooking class by commenting below as well!
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