Fittingly, Kruger’s masterful use of language; dogged, on the ground conversations with thousands of Balinese cooks and farmers; and disarming humanity leads to a culinary-minded compendium unlike almost any other. Bali, you got the scribe you deserved. An outstanding achievement in the realm of island cooking and Indonesian history, Balinese Food showcases the Balinese people in the most flattering of ways.

In an interview with Phi Beta Kappa member Vivienne Kruger, I was privileged to glimpse inside the fragrant, nuanced world of Balinese cuisine and food culture as brought to life in Kruger’s new book Balinese Food: The Traditional Cuisine & Food Culture of Bali (Tuttle Publishing, 2014).

Just when you thought you knew a lot about Bali, along comes this in-depth look at the cuisine and how it fits into everyday culture. In Balinese Food the author brings to life Bali's time-honored and authentic village cooking traditions. In over 20 detailed chapters, she explores how the islands intricate culinary art is an inextricable part of Bali's Hindu religion, its culture and its community life. This book provides a detailed roadmap for those who wish to make their own exciting exploration of the exotic world of Balinese cooking!

Vivienne Kruger’s long connection to Bali, her love of Balinese food and academic eye for detail has resulted in a book that breaks new ground in its study of Balinese culture, the Island's delicious food and the accompanying ancient traditional cooking methods.

Written from the perspective and world-view of the Balinese, the book sheds light on and shares the previously unexplored secrets of Bali’s virtually unknown  cuisine, kitchen architecture and apparatus, and culinary mindset.