Lempet is a kind of traditional Balinese sea food which is famous in the eastern part of the island namely Klungkung Regency. Limpet is made from the fish that often being catch by the local fishermen. The food is made from fish which is already being cleaned so there are no bones left on the meat. The ingredients are similar with the other traditional Balinese food which uses chili, red sugar, garlic and onion.The special thing about the food is the way to cook it. After all of the ingredients are mixed then the meat is blended with it. We must always remember that everything must be joined together and mixed properly so the taste will be delicious. After that, it is warp with banana leaf. The leaf chosen is the young one so it will not break easily. Then the lempet will be grilled but must use fire from coconut shells. It is said that the coconut shells can give a unique taste for the dish.
The burning process will take around 15 to 20 minutes. In order to get the best result, the fire must be small so the fish inside of the leaf will not burn. In Bali, this way of cooking is usually called “pesan” and in Bahasa Indonesia, it is called “pepes”. The limpet can be eaten with rice or without. The aroma of the burnt banana leaf will give special taste in the cuisine. The unique taste made the lempet often demanded by the customers. In Klungkung, limpet sellers can be seen on the way to Kusamba Beach through the border with Karangasem Regency. Kusamba is well known for its black sand and the high number of the fish that can be catch there.
After the fishermen come from the sea, lempet sellers will crowd to the boat to find the fresh fish. The quality of the fish is also determining the taste of lempet. The sellers are trying to find the best possible fish they can because the tight competition between lempet sellers. The high demand for the food made many people want to get profit from it so many of them turn to sell lempet.
For the people of Klungkung, lempet is their daily meal. They always buy the food everyday because it is very cheap and could last for over two days. That is why they love lempet, in addition to the delicious and unique taste of the food. It is also usually served during ceremony or other rituals in the regency.
Lempet is only existed in Klungkung Regency so for those who want to try it must come to the region which is only 1 hour from Denpasar. Bali has many unique cuisines which can attract tourist to come. It also could become other promotion tool so Bali is still the most designated island for tourists. For repeater guests who often come to Bali, the cuisine could become an alternative choice after they visit the tourism sites throughout the island. The cuisine also could become the souvenirs for those back home.
