You will find various tastes and aromas that arouse your appetite when visiting Bali. Aside from a variety of tourist attractions, Bali is also rich in its unique cuisine. Sambal Bejek of Belayu Village is one of them. This special sambal is made of special secrets ingredients with special processing. It could be very nice to enjoy this sambal with a plate of warm rice.

Belayu Village is known for its signature chili, namely Sambal Bejek. Based on its composition, Sambal Bejek is a blend of sambal matah and sambal bongkot. In general, the sambal is mixed with lemongrass stems to give the aroma. But Sambal Bejek is different. It isn’t mixed with lemongrass, but slices of kecombrang flowers.

To make Sambal Bejek of Belayu Village, they usually use a pink kecombrang flower bud. After being thinly sliced, kecombrang flower buds are mixed with slices of chili, red onion, salt, and other spices. The difference with sambal matah, Sambal Bejek is not mixed with coconut oil. So, can you imagine how fresh the aroma of the kecombrang flower blends with the aroma of shallots and chili?

The process surely affects the results. It’s squeezed until the aroma of each ingredient comes out perfectly. Because of this squeezing process, the sambal is then called Sambal Bejek (squeeze). Sambal Bejek is suitable to be enjoyed at lunch. The combination of flavors that are not too strong, bitter red onion sap, and spicy chili collide in your mouth.

Kecombrang flowers are called bongkot by Balinese people. It was also finally used to name sambal bongkot. Each region has a term for kecombrang flowers. In fact, every region has processed special dishes by mixing these flowers. With the Latin name Etlingera Elatior, this flower emits a distinctively fresh and fragrant aroma. It tastes sour like a lemon and is slightly spicy like ginger. Kecombrang flowers also have a fragrant aroma like lemongrass. International chefs know kecombrang as 'ginger torch'. Which means, kecombrang flowers are no stranger to the culinary world.

In general, Sambal Bejek is served with shredded chicken. A mixture of spicy, savory and tasteful flavors is often juxtaposed with tum or pepes. You can also find several stalls that serve Sambal Bejek with sprouted soto sauce. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Balinese food turns out to have distinctive features. To enjoy it, you can find stalls or restaurants that serve Balinese special menus. Don't worry about the price, for one portion of Sambal Bejek with a bowl of soto, you only need to pay around IDR 25,000. Affordable isn't it? So, let’s taste the delightful Balinese cuisine!