#JaenIdupDiBali : Something Tasty that we call "Babi Guling"

Babi guling or Balinese suckling pig (pork roast) is one of the most famous dishes in Bali. It's a whole pig, with seasoned cassava leaves stuffed into its juicy belly before being grilled over a fire (of course we roast it in wide open kitchen with big fire, mostly outdoor kitchen). The slow cooking process result in tender and juicy meat and crispy pork rind.

The Balinese consider babi guling one of our most special dishes and usually include it in offering for religious event, like Melaspas (house blessing), Otonan (Balinese birthday), and Pawiwahan (wedding ceremony). Traditionally, Be guling (as local people call it) was not an everyday meal and could only be enjoyed after it was offered in a ceremony.

Timbrah, a village in Karngasem regency, holds a religious ritual that includes dozens of babi guling in the main offering. Ngusaba desa is the ritual to clean the village from misfortune and a way to express gratitude for the health and wealth that have been blessed on the participants. In the old days it was only families with great wealth who include babi guling in offering.
Once the ceremony was complete, the pig was then shared with the villagers. The growing prosperity in the village had been significant impact these days, especially in term of the number of babi guling offered during Ngusaba desa ceremony.

Nowdays, this mouth-watering delicacy can be found almost everywhere on the island. A portion of Nasi be guling includes a moderate amount of warm rice, juicy pork meat, a lil' piece of crunchy pork rind, mix vegie, chicken or pork soup and Lawar (Balinese authentic spicy mix vegie), and of course for reasonable price (from Rp 20.000/USD 2 - Rp 50.000/USD 5)


In south Bali there are several warungs well known for their Babi guling. Such as :

• Warung bundaran renon - jalan raya puputan no. 212, denpasar
• Babi guling pak malen - jalan sunset road no. 5, seminyak
• Warung babi guling Ibu Oka - jalan sweta, next to Ubud Palace, Ubud