Local Flavors: Ayam Taliwang & Plecing Kangkung

Lombok’s cuisine is fiery and bold, echoing its landscapes. Its signature, Ayam Taliwang, grills chicken marinated in chili, shrimp paste, garlic, and lime. Cooked over charcoal, it emerges smoky, spicy, tender, unforgettable. Plecing Kangkung complements it — water spinach blanched, then topped with sambal rich in tomato, chili, and lime. The combination is heat and freshness, intensity and balance. Markets brim with spices: turmeric, galangal, coriander, and cloves. Stalls serve satay skewers, grilled fish, and nasi campur plates with rice and small side dishes. Sweet treats of sticky rice and coconut follow, washed down with kopi tubruk — thick, sweet coffee. Meals here are communal. Plates are shared, laughter flows, hospitality is natural. Food is not just sustenance but story — of land, spice, and generosity.