Balinese
cooking class is an experience of great satisfaction and
self-gratification. The focus is not limited to the food only, but also
the process and history behind it. You will be surprised to know that
there's so much history embedded within each meal you are about to cook.
Each spice has a story, each herb has a fragrance, and when each of
them is combined with meats and vegetables, they turn into a medley of
culture and history. Each dish you create is a testament to the oral
history of the cook.
Bumbu Bali
Bumbu Bali
Aiming to discover the spiced
flavours of Bali’s virtually unknown cuisine, cooking class at Bumbu
Bali offers a fascinating introduction into the exotic ingredients and
specific culinary heritage of Bali. It provides a valuable insight into
the mix techniques of food preparation and the cooking style used in
Bali.
Before the class starts, a small group of twelve persons will
be taken to the local markets to purchase the ingredients, including
spices, meat, chicken, and fresh seafood. This will be followed by a
hearty Balinese breakfast at the restaurant. The participants will then
spend a very informative morning in a specially designed kitchen,
grinding a minimum of 20 spices, in small quantities though. Thatched
roofed pavilions and a traditionally crafted village setup gives you the
feeling of cooking in paradise. You will discover and feel the
peacefulness of a harmonic Balinese home.
A lot of Balinese cooking
revolves around tossing, stirring and steaming the dishes, which will be
taught to you in five hours. Each enticing recipe prepared is
accompanied by precise step-by-step instructions for easy reference.
Your day will be filled with the bright flavours of lemon grass and
kaffir lime, red chilies and the mild sweetness of garlic. The exquisite
taste of coconut cream and the royal of dark palm sugars in the dishes
take the cooking to a whole new level. Throughout the class, there are
also pop-quizzes about handy cooking techniques.
After five most
informative and entertaining hours in the kitchen, as the final task, it
is time to enjoy your own creation – the mouth-watering dishes which
the participants have prepared for the last few hours. A strong of hot
Balinese coffee and some sweets will company you during the lunch.
The
classes are hosted by Heinz von Holzen, a Swiss born chef, Restaurant
proprietor and author of five highly acclaimed cookbooks. With him, you
will embark on the best Balinese culinary journey. There are three types
of classes conducted, which are “Normal Class”, “Vegan Class”, and
“Extra Day Class”, of which each consists of six preparations. Please be
advised that no politics talks are allowed during the cooking process.
It will ruin the taste.
Specialising
in mainly Javanese and Balinese cuisine, the cooking class in Hotel
Tugu introduces guests to the ancient Indonesian gastronomy and
indigenous cooking techniques. The outstanding hands-on kitchen
experience allows you to experience the exotic richness of old
Indonesian culture, dining and cooking altogether.
You can choose up
to 10 dishes from the menu, depending on your choice of Javanese and
Balinese cuisine. Feel free to tell the culinary team of Hotel Tugu if
you have any specific dish to learn, as they will be very happy to
accommodate it. The class will start early in the morning to a nearby
local market where you can buy your own spices, vegetables and meat.
This is a unique experience, as you are introduced to Indonesian culture
where you are allowed to communicate and bargain with the local
shopkeepers to buy all that is needed. You are then brought back to the
hotel outdoor kitchen.
The classes of a maximum ten persons are held
by Iboe Soelastri, the Indonesian chef who began her journey of cooking
since four years old. Amazingly, she has been devoting her life with
Hotel Tugu for decades and had cooked for the past 3 presidents of
Indonesia. Therefore, without a doubt, she has a bucket of stories to
share, not just limited to her cooking experiences but also about
Indonesian culture.
The cooking is done in a very traditional way,
using stone grinders to blend spices and woks, steamers, and wood-fire
terracotta stoves to prepare the food. You will be introduced to the old
tradition of Indonesian gastronomy, specifically the authentic Javanese
and Balinese cuisine. You are then offered a tasty lunch of some of the
chef specialties and your own cooking.
Located
in Jimbaran Bay, side by side with the local fishing community in the
area, cooking class in InterContinental Bali Resort offers a unique
opportunity to learn about the famous Balinese Seafood dishes. The class
starts with an early tour to the Kedonganan Fish Market, which only a
cosy 15-minute drive from the resort. The chef will guide you through
the entire process of purchasing supplies for the class. One of the
benefits in this part for the participants is to know how to select the
fresh and good fish to cook, as there will be a lot of tips are given
for free. The small group of a minimum 5 people is then taken to the
nearby spice market to choose from an array of fresh herbs, fruits,
vegetables and aromatic spices.
The cooking process begins around 12 noon in the open kitchen of Bella Cucina. This is a hands-on cooking class where you will be taught to cook four Balinese seafood dishes using the ingredients you purchased earlier. The selected and famous dishes are Crab Soup, Squid Lawar (a traditional Balinese salad), Pepes Udang (steamed prawns wrapped in banana leaf), and Fish. All the dishes here are seafood centric, which is the specialty of this cooking class. At around 2PM you can relax in the opulent indoor dining room of Bella Cucina and sample your delicious preparations. You are also allowed to pack and/or take-away your lunch, in case you want to share it with your loved ones at home. A recipe book will be handed over at the end of the class for your future referrals.
Maya Ubud Resort
This
resort has its own organic spice and herb garden where you will be
taken on an informative tour before the class. After spending a leisure
time at the garden, you will then be escorted to the village style
kitchen where the cooking class commences. The cook will teach you the
simple but tastiest of five Balinese dishes. Some of the local
condiments used in most dishes are inger, kerupuk, laos, lemon basil,
lemongrass, lime, nutmeg, shallots, turmeric and soy sauce. It is the
unique blend of these quite common spices which lends a mouth-watering
taste to the dishes. But there are also a few secret spices, like alam
leaf, kencur and tamarind pulp which offer inimitable taste sensations.
The
Balinese chefs also share their concepts of food and small cooking tips
that will be very useful for your own benefit. The cooking class at
Maya Ubud is both fun and informative. The motivational part of the
class comes later on where you actually have lunch eating what you have
prepared all this while. You will also receive an email of the recipes
that you have prepared.
Cooking
at The Breezes allows you to learn about Balinese cooking in a
luxurious way. There is one appointed head-chef and a lot of helpers in
the kitchen. So you can either prepare the whole meal on your own or the
helpers can assist you while you just watch them cooking and interact
with them. The class is conducted in small lively groups. The staff is
extremely friendly and always keen to answer all of your queries.
The
chef will introduce the basic ingredients prepared on the table, like
ginger, lemongrass, and other exotic spices that will be incorporated in
the food. You can choose to prepare an entire 8-course-meal or just
learn to make some quick and tasty Balinese starters. The friendly instructors will walk you through each classic
dish and show you how to replicate with fresh produce and fragrant
spices. Most of the dishes are laid on or wrapped in fresh banana leaves
which lend an exquisite taste and aroma.
This article is published on September issue of NOW! Bali Magazine
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