Balinese Kitchen Culture at Tanah Gajah Resort Ubud

Tanah Gajah’s new offering moves beyond the plate for a deep understanding of the island’s heritage.

Clothes make the man, but they also make the plate, or so they say in Bali where a new culinary experience is sharpening up at Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana.

Launching this month, ‘Balinese Kitchen Culture’ is a foodie workshop that dives deep into the rituals and beliefs present in a Balinese kitchen, as interpreted by Tanah Gajah’s Balinese chefs who have been honing their skills at the resort for a decade.

While guests will have the chance to learn to prepare dishes like Balinese Sate Lilit (fish satay), the spicy condiment Sambal Matah, and a local dessert Dadar Gulung (coconut pancakes), ‘Balinese Kitchen Culture’ is about more than just making food. Participants will learn about purification rituals, including a blessing with holy water to wash away negative energy; proper clothing and proper plating.

Making a specific type of canang saiban, an offering that is prepared after cooking a meal, is also part of the two-hour workshop. Through conversation and hands-on experience guests will learn the importance of these gifts that are bestowed upon the gods and how this practice nurtures a sense of gratitude and devotion within daily life.

We as a community are spiritual people, as anyone who has visited Bali can attest, explained Deasy Swandarini, general manager of Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana, who is from Bali. That reverence of something greater is deeply intertwined in all that we do, including when we prepare a meal. We always strive to give our visitors insight into our culture and heritage. Learning through preparing and sharing good food is one way of doing that, which all people can enjoy.