Travel: Bali, Indonesia


by Michael Satterfield

One of the best ways to understand a culture in my opinion is to embrace the food of the people, Indonesia is an amazing and exciting place made up of thousands of islands, each with its own culture, food, and artwork. A fun way to connect with the locals is to take a cooking class, the added benefit is that you can share a part of your experience with family and friends when you get home.

One great class is the Payuk Bali Cooking Class, in the mountain town of Ubud. The city has long been a hot spot for food fans, and has been featured on popular televi
sion shows, such as No Reservations. The class starts in the morning and you will need to plan on having an entire day set aside.

The class starts with the chef will accompanying you to the traditional market in the town square, introducing you to the native fruits, vegetables and spices that are used in Balinese cooking. After that market you are taken on a guided tour of local rice field to see the process of  farming that Balinese farmers have been using for hundreds of years.

After returning from the farms you will be taken to a traditional Balinese house compound, which includes the family owned restaurant, where the team of chefs will show you how to make traditional Balinese meals. Be expected to take part in a offering ceremony before getting started, it is a cultural tradition.


The traditional kitchen and restaurant, lies on the banks of the Petanu River, providing a beautiful backdrop to enjoy a truly unique cooking class experience with head Chef Ketut Budi. You will learn traditional Balinese cooking secrets passed down  from his mother,and refined in some of the top hotels and restaurants in Bali. Plus so you can take the experience home he will show you how to make dishes with ingredients common in the US and Europe.


By the time the lesson is over you will have learned how to prepare an appetizer, a main course, and dessert, from recipes you will easily be able to duplicate your experience at home for your family and friends.



To book a cooking class contact the Payuk Bali Home Cooking Class

Laplapan Village Ubud, Gianyar Bali - 80571 Indonesia
Phone: +62 361 8987854
Mobile: +62 81 246 368226
Email:info@payukbali.com                                                                                                                  Website www.payukbali.com
(Photos by Payuk Bali Home Cooking Class and Michael Satterfield)