Welcome to Around the World in 80 Meals.

We are a group of friends with an interest in global cuisines. Join us each week as we travel around the world (of Melbourne restaurants). Our aim is to circumnavigate the globe in a west-east manner, sampling dishes from a different country or region each week. We will finish out journey in 80 weeks time, when we return home for an authentic Australian meal.

For our first trip we will be going to BALI (Indonesia), via Melati Indonesian Restaurant.

The word paradise is used a lot in Bali, and not without reason. The combination of friendly, hospitable people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and (not least) spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving have made Bali Indonesia's unparalleled number one tourist attraction.

Unlike any other island in largely Muslim Indonesia, Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture, although Balinese Hinduism is so far removed from the original Indian variety that the casual eye will be hard put to spot any similarities. Every aspect of Balinese life is suffused with religion, but the most visible signs are the tiny offerings (sesajen) of flowers, glutinous rice and salt in little bamboo leaf trays, found in every Balinese house, restaurant, souvenir stall and airport check-in desk. They are set out and sprinkled with holy water no less then three times a day, before every meal.

Actual Balinese food, however, is comparatively rarely seen, and it has made few inroads in the rest of the country due to its emphasis on pork, which is anathema to the largely Muslim population in the rest of the country.

Notable dishes include:

babi guling — Roast suckling pig, a large ceremonial dish that must usually be ordered several days in advance.

bebek betutu — Literally "darkened duck", topped with a herb paste and roasted in banana leaves. The same method can also be used for chicken, resulting in ayam betutu.

lawar — Covers a range of Balinese salads, usually involving thinly chopped vegetables, minced meat, coconut and spices. Green beans and chicken are a particularly common combination.

sate lilit — Minced seafood satay, served wrapped around a twig of lemongrass.

urutan — Balinese spicy sausage, made from pork.

from http://wikitravel.org/en/Bali#Eat, for more information see http://www.baliguide.com/