Get To Know Base Rajang, An Authentic Balinese Culinary Spice

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  • Cempaga, Banjar

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Get To Know Base Rajang, An Authentic Balinese Culinary Spice .

Bali does not only have natural, cultural, and artistic landscapes that are full of beauty. But also, the culinary, has a rich and authentic taste. Including how to process spices that are typical and done from generation to generation. Of course, you are familiar with betutu chicken, sate lilit, lawar, and tum. All Balinese dishes are seasoned with base genep which is mixed with chopping so that it is called base rajang. So, what is the chopping spices and how to process it? Here is the full explanation.


The base rajang is a base genep which is a spice for all dishes. In contrast to mashed, chopped spices is considered to have a richer taste. In principle, this is based on the belief of the people of the Island of the Gods, that Tri Hita Karana is centered on one single thing. Referring to the way of processing food, the Balinese also adhere to one concoction of spices, namely base genep. The base rajang is generally used to season lawar dishes. However, for dishes that are familiar to the public, such as fried rice, chopped spices can also be used. Spices chopped, only treated with chopped. Without pulverizing it so that it is soft so that each seasoning composition is more optimal in bringing out its taste.

The way to treat this seasoning is quite authentic, of course. Because if other regions prefer to spice up their food with mashed spices, the Balinese use chopped spices. In the megibung event, as an illustration that the base rajang is closely related to the culture of the community. At the stage of preparation for this event for community unity and integrity, several people prepare dishes. The spices used include base rajang, base gede, base pelalah, base uyah sere, base tamarind, base gala, base ginger onion, and base mba.


For the people of Bali Aga Village in Buleleng Regency, the processing technique is chopping for base gede or base wayah. The spices that are chopped include galangal, ginger, turmeric, aromatic ginger, shallots, garlic, pepper, coriander, chilies, shrimp paste, bay leaves, lemongrass, salt, and tabia bun. This seasoning is used to cook jukut, lawar, urab-uraban, and processed pig roast.

Apart from depicting the local culture, the chopped spices are also considered effective in transferring flavors. This chopped spice absorbs into cooking more quickly than ground spices, for example in betutu chicken dishes. Fine seasoning, usually the aroma will evaporate when boiled with the main ingredients. But if it is chopped, as in base rajang, the aroma will penetrate the main ingredient.