raw food in Bali

Whereas vegetarian food was once associated with hippies and peace signs, and raw food meant little more than a salad or a handful of nuts, these days healthy eating has hit the mainstream, with more and more people opting for organic whole foods. Tapping into the world-wide raw food trend, Divine Earth swung open its doors in February this year, with an expansive menu of wholesome raw dishes, nourishing juices and organic wines. Spread over two floors, the space is fresh and serene, with a calming colour scheme shaded in green and beige, and an open kitchen area with glass display counters filled with enticing desserts and snacks. A recently expanded dinner menu also includes a selection of cooked vegetarian options.

Raw foodies claim that fresh ingredients retain enzymes, vitamins and proteins which are often destroyed by the cooking process. With a little imagination, creativity, and the use of a dehydrator (which gently heats food to 43 degrees without actually cooking it,) raw food chefs can create all kinds of tasty treats. Our crispy flax seed crackers go beautifully with a Trio of Dips. The Portobello Mushroom has been marinated in honey and tamarind, and popped in the dehydrator to emerge rich and full of flavour, with salad, pickles and thick creamy tofu cashew cheese on the side. The dehydrator has also crisped up the vegetables for the sty Moussaka layered with turmeric cashew cheese; while Almond Bread with Chive Cashew Feta makes a very tasty breakfast dish.

I am a huge fan of raw desserts, which can deliver the sweetness you crave but leave you feeling lean and energised rather than full and loaded with sugar. The Banoffee Ice cream Terrine served with salted caramel sauce is just superb, as is the Chocolate Almond Crunch with rich satiny chocolate smoothed over a nutty, crunchy base. Drinks include a zingy Green Juice, and a thick and velvety Tantra – a healthy boost of blueberries, oat milk and cacao which is similar to a chocolate milkshake but without the dairy heaviness

Tucked into the sidewalk at the end of Jalan Raya Basangkasa, Divine Earth is ideally situated next to Divine Goddess (selling yoga wear) and Seminyak Yoga Shala, creating a wellbeing corner in the heart of town. The cafe is a collaboration between Gil… of Divine Goddess, and Liat Solomon, founder of Down to Earth, a ‘whole life’ company that has grown to incorporate five vegetarian restaurants/markets (including Zula and Earth Cafe), and a substantial product range. For Solomon, an experienced nutritionist and vegetarian/ macrobiotic chef who has cooked for various celebrities such as Kevin Costner, healthy food is a not just a passion its a way of life.

Divine Earth Jalan Raya Basangkasa, Seminyak

Phone:(0361) 731964

Hours:7:00 am – 11:00 pm

Raw food is all the rage these days, especially in the holistic heart of Ubud, and we find Living Food Lab right alongside Hubud (a collaborative working space and business network.) Surrounded by a pretty garden with colourful bean bags on one side, and glistening rice fields on the other, the airy bamboo building creates a casual, comfortable setting for light and nutritious food.

An experiment in conscious eating, Living Food Lab also celebrates the notion of food as an art form, and meals are beautifully served on wicker plates lined with ornamentally-cut banana leafs. With the exception of chick peas, beans and quinoa (options in the salad bar,) everything on the menu is raw, and sourced locally to ensure absolute freshness. The use of a dehydrator slowly and gently heats food to 43 degrees, which keeps all the nutrients and enzymes intact, and creates crispy flax seed crackers, kale chips and tostadas.

Early risers can hit the breakfast bar and start the day with an organic cold pressed FREAK coffee, and load up at the granola station packed with seeds, nuts, oats, fruit, coconut or cashew milk. Lunch choices include a daily specials board and a salad bar, filled with all manner of sprouts, vegetables, legumes, greens and a good choice of dressings, such as beet vinaigrette, citrus avocado, pesto, and tahini with a kick. Organic cashews, sourced from the fabulous East Bali Cashew Company, located in the north of the island make a highly versatile raw food ingredient and can be churned into tasty cheese, whipped into a smooth filling for cheesecakes and pies, and crushed into a crunchy base.

We have a Corn Tostada, with a crispy corn and sesame cracker topped with a sunflower seed pate, spicy marinated vegetables, cashew cheddar and cashew sour cream. Generous amounts of cilantro, cumin and lime create an authentic Mexican flavour. The towering Zoom Burger has dark zucchini and mushroom crackers layered with sundried tomato paste, tomatoes and cashew mason – which tastes like a crunchy parmesan cracker.

Raw food really comes into its own in the dessert arena, granting the sweet taste you crave, minus the guilt factor, and the deli counter is filled with all kinds of enticing delights, from Bliss Balls, to Silky Truffles, to Mulberry Cheesecake and richly smooth Chocolate salted Caramel Cups. I devour an entire slice of fragrant Strawberry Cheesecake and feel wonderfully light (and not at all remorseful) afterwards.

Living Food Lab started at the Green School, where kids, teachers, and visitors on daily tours can stop by for a healthy bite. Known as the ‘greenest school on earth,’ this is probably also the only school in world with a raw food café, and you can join introductory raw food courses on Saturday mornings at 9am.

Living Food Lab

Jalan Monkey Forest 88x Monkey Forest Road,

Open 7am-7pm

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Raw treats in Seminyak

Raw food Bali

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