Best Food Souvenirs to Bring Home from Bali

The best souvenirs from Bali are edible. Here are the top food items to bring home, where to buy them, and how to pack them for your flight.

After a cooking class in Bali, you will want to recreate those flavors at home. The good news is that many Balinese ingredients travel well and are impossible or expensive to find outside Indonesia. Here are the best food souvenirs to pack.

Balinese sea salt and volcanic salt: Amed and eastern Bali produce some of the world's finest sea salt using traditional evaporation methods. Look for the coarse, grey-colored fleur de sel at markets or specialty shops. It is a fraction of the price of similar European salts.

Vanilla beans: Bali grows exceptional vanilla. A handful of premium beans costs a fraction of what you would pay at home. Look for plump, moist, aromatic pods at markets in Ubud or specialty spice shops.

Kecap manis (sweet soy sauce): This thick, sweet soy sauce is the secret ingredient in nasi goreng and many other Indonesian dishes. Buy a bottle of ABC brand or artisan-made kecap manis from a local producer.

Ground spice blends: Many cooking class providers sell pre-made spice blends that replicate the bumbu used in class. These are perfect for recreating Balinese dishes at home without sourcing individual fresh ingredients. Ask your cooking class if they sell spice kits.