Balinese flavors
Pisang Goreng
Ripe pisang raja bananas dipped in a light rice flour batter with turmeric and vanilla, fried until golden. Caramelised and crispy outside, silky sweet inside. Sold from cart vendors island-wide for the equivalent of a few cents — best eaten straight from the fryer.
About this dish
Fried banana is found across the entire Malay-speaking world — in Malaysia, the Philippines (turon), Thailand, and Cambodia — reflecting the banana's status as the most widely cultivated fruit in the tropical belt long before colonialism. The Balinese version's distinguishing features are the use of pisang raja (king banana), a stubby, highly aromatic variety grown in Bali's volcanic foothills, and the turmeric in the batter that gives the exterior its distinctive yellow-gold color. Cart vendors selling pisang goreng are one of the most enduring features of Balinese daily life: they circulate through neighborhoods and school gates from morning through mid-afternoon, serving them in repurposed newspaper. The smell of frying banana is as much a part of waking up in a Balinese neighborhood as roosters and temple bells.
Allergen information
Preparation methods may vary by restaurant. Always confirm with staff if you have severe allergies.
Where to try
Street cart vendors everywhere; Seminyak and Ubud markets; temple festival stalls