Sambal — 14 Varieties and Regional Variants

Sambal — the chili condiment of the Bali / Indonesia table. Identity at the level of Korean kimchi. There are 14+ Balinese Sambal kinds and hundreds of regional, household, and restaurant variants. Sambal Matah (raw, Balinese signature) and Sambal Embe (fried shallot) are most common; Sambal Mbe, Sambal Tomat, Sambal Goreng each pair with different dishes. Cabai (chili) + Bawang (shallot) + Terasi (shrimp paste) + others = the Sambal formula. A foreigner's first test of dietary adaptation.

A. Sambal's Basic Composition

Core ingredients:

• Cabai (chili) — Cabai Rawit (small, hot) and Cabai Merah Besar (large, milder)
• Bawang Merah (shallot, Indonesian-style red onion)
• Bawang Putih (garlic)
• Terasi (shrimp paste — the signature Balinese flavor)
• Garam (salt)
• Gula Aren (palm sugar) — in some
• Jeruk Limau (lime) — in Sambal Matah
• Tomat (tomato) — in Sambal Tomat

Heat level (Scoville):

• Cabai Rawit — 50,000–100,000 SHU (5–10× jalapeño)
• Cabai Hijau (green) — even hotter
• Comparable to Korean Cheongyang pepper level or higher

Tools:

• Cobek (stone mortar) + Ulekan (pestle)
• Modern — blender
• Babi Guling restaurants — giant Cobek

Sources: Sambal · Bali Post — Sambal series

B. The 14 Balinese Sambal Kinds

1. Sambal Matah — Balinese signature

• Matah = raw
• Raw shallot, lime, chili, coconut oil, Terasi
• Not cooked
• Standard with Babi Guling and Ayam Betutu
• Foreigner top-1

2. Sambal Embe — fried shallot

• Embe = fried shallot
• Cooked version of Sambal Matah
• Deeper aroma
• Standard with Nasi Goreng

3. Sambal Mbe — Balinese spelling of Sambal Embe

• Identical, Balinese pronunciation

4. Sambal Goreng — stir-fried Sambal

• Goreng = fried, sautéed
• Cooked in oil
• Keeps longer
• Standard in regular restaurants

5. Sambal Tomat — tomato Sambal

• Tomato + chili + onion
• Mild — foreigner-friendly
• Common in Halal restaurants

6. Sambal Bajak — deep heat

• Sauté + rich spices
• Javanese influence
• Festival / great-rite meals

7. Sambal Terasi — shrimp-paste forward

• Lots of Terasi
• Traditional Balinese aroma
• Pairs with Lawar

8. Sambal Hijau — green chili

• Uses green chili
• Sambal Ijo (Javanese term)
• Padang-restaurant (West Sumatra) influence

9. Sambal Bawang — shallot emphasis

• Lots of garlic and shallot
• Pairs with fried foods

10. Sambal Dabu-Dabu — Manado influence

• Origin Sulawesi
• Like Sambal Matah, fresher
• Pairs with seafood

11. Sambal Plecing — Lombok influence

• Standard with Plecing Kangkung (Lombok-style spinach)
• Common in east Bali

12. Sambal Lemak — coconut cream

• Add Santan (coconut cream)
• Smooth, tames heat
• Foreigner-friendly

13. Sambal Kecap — soy sauce Sambal

• Kecap Manis (sweet soy) + chili
• Recommended foreigner first try

14. Sambal Asem — sour Sambal

• Asem (tamarind) + chili
• With fruit / fish

Regional variants:

• Karangasem — hotter, uses dried fish
• Tabanan — coconut-rich
• Buleleng — Javanese influence (Bajak)
• Jembrana — Lombok influence (Plecing)

Sources: Bali Discovery — Sambal guide · Tempo — Bali Sambal series

C. Household and Restaurant Differences

By household:

• Mother-in-law → daughter-in-law transmission
• Each household's secret ratios
• Balinese kids miss "mom's Sambal" most
• Overseas Balinese — take instant Sambal

By restaurant:

• Ibu Oka — authentic Sambal Matah
• Pak Malen — strong heat
• Bebek Bengil — foreigner-friendly (milder)
• Premium hotels — heat adjusted for foreigners

Pasar Sambal:

• Daily-dawn chili wholesale
• Separate Terasi stalls
• Sambal ingredient bundles (Bumbu Sambal)
• Mothers-in-law pass notes to daughters-in-law

Modern — instant Sambal:

• Sambal ABC, Indofood, Bali Spirit
• Foreigner / Balinese-digital-nomad market
• About 80% of household-Sambal flavor

Sources: Bali Post — household Sambal · The Jakarta Post — instant-Sambal market

D. Sambal–Dish Pairings

Heat-level requests:

• Tidak pedas — not spicy
• Sedikit pedas — a little
• Pedas — spicy
• Sangat pedas — very
• Pedas mati — deadly-hot (joke)

Source: Bali Discovery — Sambal–dish pairing

E. The Foreigner's View — Learning and Buying Sambal

1. Recommended first-try sequence

1. Sambal Tomat (mildest)
2. Sambal Lemak (coconut)
3. Sambal Kecap (soy)
4. Sambal Matah (signature, foreigner favorite)
5. Sambal Embe (fried shallot)
6. Sambal Goreng (sautéed)
7. Sambal Bajak (deep)
8. Sambal Terasi (traditional strong)

2. Buying

• Pasar (market) — dawn / fresh
• Supermarket (Pepito, Coco, Bintang) — instant
• Sambal Bali (brands) — foreigner friendly
• Bali Spirit Online — overseas shipping

3. Home-making

• Buy Cobek + Ulekan (stone mortar) — Rp 100K–300K
• Ingredients — Pasar bundle Rp 30K–100K
• YouTube — Sambal-making videos
• Balinese friend's family — teaches directly

4. At foreigner restaurants

• Sambal served separately — adjustable
• Start with a little, don't mix
• Increase heat gradually
• Water or coconut water (eases heat)

5. Allergies / dietary

• Vegetarian Sambal — some (no Terasi)
• Vegan Sambal — bean protein in place of Terasi
• Sensitive stomach — Sambal Tomat / Lemak recommended

6. Taking Bali Sambal home

• No meat (luggage) · plant check at customs
• Bottled instant Sambal — fine in luggage
• Bali Spirit, ABC Sambal — duty-free
• Cobek (stone mortar) — bulky luggage

Quick Summary

Sources / References

• Wiki — Sambal · Balinese cuisine · Indonesian cuisine
• Official — Kemenparekraf — Bali food culture · Bali Provincial Government
• News — Bali Post — Sambal series · The Jakarta Post — Bali heat culture · Tempo — instant Sambal market · Bali Discovery — Sambal guide
• Academic — Eiseman F. B. Jr., Bali: Sekala and Niskala (Periplus, 1989-90); Hobart M. (ed.), The Art and Culture of Bali (1995); Vickers A., Bali: A Paradise Created (2012); Howe L., The Changing World of Bali (Routledge, 2005)