Balinese cooking, from market to banana leaf

The day, in short

A morning at the market, then a village kitchen: you grind base genep with a stone mortar and cook six dishes from scratch, then sit down and eat them. Vegetarian and vegan versions are cooked without fuss.

• Morning market, then a village kitchen
• Grind base genep, the spice paste behind it all
• Six dishes, eaten for lunch

What happens

1. 07:30

   Pick-up in Ubud

   A short drive to the market while it is still busy with people buying for the day.

2. 08:00

   The morning market

   Your cook walks you through it: what is in season, which chilli is which, how to tell a good galangal from a tired one, and what goes into offerings versus into the pot.

3. 09:30

   The village kitchen

   An open kitchen in a family compound, with a view of rice. You start where every Balinese cook starts: pounding base genep, the paste of shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric, chilli and more that sits under most dishes.

4. 10:15

   Six dishes

   Typically sate lilit (minced satay on lemongrass), pepes (fish steamed in banana leaf), jukut urap (a coconut and vegetable salad), a tempeh dish, a vegetable curry and a banana dessert. Pork is not used.

5. 12:30

   Lunch

   You sit down together and eat what you cooked. There is always more than you can finish.

6. 14:00

   Back at your hotel

   With a printed recipe card, and a stone mortar in your luggage if you could not resist.

Included and not

Bring and wear

Where we meet

Hotel pick-up in and around Ubud at 07:30.

From the coast it is a longer transfer and we will add the time; ask when you enquire.

Pick-up at 07:30 in and around Ubud

When it works best

Works all year; the market is busiest and best in the morning. In the wet season the kitchen is open-sided and you may cook through a downpour, which is part of the experience.

Cancellation. Sample policy: free changes or cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Good to know

Each fact was checked on the web on the date shown. Where a fact comes from one source only, we say so.

Base genep

The foundation Balinese spice paste: shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, kencur, turmeric, chillies, candlenuts and coriander seed, pounded and cookedChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Several Ubud cooking schools and recipe sources (Sun of Granary, Mitzie Mee)

Typical class

An early market visit, then five to seven dishes, eaten at lunchChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Ubud cooking-class listings (GetYourGuide, Tripadvisor, Klook)