Ubud Food Festival 2025: Bali's Epic Culinary Celebration

Ubud Food Festival 2025: A Celebration of Heritage and Flavors in the Heart of Bali

If you consider yourself a passionate foodie, curious traveler, or cultural explorer, mark your calendar now—Ubud Food Festival (UFF) 2025 is cooking up a feast you won't forget. From May 30 to June 1, the lush, artful town of Ubud, Bali transforms into a sizzling hub of flavor, community, and culinary storytelling.

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, this year's theme, "Heritage", invites festivalgoers to taste the essence of Indonesia’s rich culinary legacy—from generations-old recipes to bold innovations by the country's rising chefs.

🍛 More Than Just a Food Fest—It's a Cultural Movement

Launched in 2015 by Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati, the same force behind the iconic Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, UFF is more than just a showcase of good eats. It’s a cross-cultural culinary adventure where food becomes a lens into Indonesia’s traditions, values, and communities.

With a growing reputation as Indonesia’s most dynamic food festival, UFF draws chefs, food lovers, producers, and creators from all corners of the archipelago—and the globe. Think street food with soul, gourmet experiences with heart, and conversations that stir your appetite and your mind.

🌿 Taman Kuliner: The Festival Hub You'll Never Want to Leave

Set against the tropical greenery of Taman Kuliner, the festival’s open-air hub feels like stepping into a buzzing island village where flavors tell stories. Here’s what to expect:

• Food Market (Free Entry!) – Street food lovers, rejoice! More than 70 artisanal vendors set up stalls packed with local delicacies, snacks, and drinks from every region of Indonesia. From satay wrapped in banana leaves to coconut-laced desserts and fiery sambals, this is flavor exploration at its finest.
• Teater Kuliner Stage – Get front-row seats to live cooking demos from Indonesia’s culinary rockstars. Watch them plate up signature dishes while sharing the cultural histories that make each bite special.
• Masterclasses – Wanna cook like a pro? Join hands-on sessions where you’ll learn everything from spice-blending secrets to heritage baking techniques—all guided by top chefs and food artisans.
• Food for Thought Talks – This is where culinary meets consciousness. Engage with food activists, eco-warriors, young chefs, and community leaders as they explore how food shapes identity, sustainability, and innovation.

🍴 Food Tours: Your Ticket to Taste Bali

The Ubud Food Festival 2025 isn’t just about stages and chefs—it’s about getting out there and tasting Bali where it truly lives. The festival’s curated Food Tours take you off the beaten path and into villages, rainforests, and night markets, offering hands-on culinary adventures led by locals. From foraging wild greens to feasting in coastal kitchens, each tour is a chance to dive into authentic Balinese food culture—one bite at a time.‍

Arca Coffee & Culinary Trip Kintamani (29 May 2025)

Wake up with the volcano and sip your way through Bali’s highlands on this soul-stirring food tour. You’ll roam Kintamani’s misty farms with Wayan Arca, a charismatic coffee farmer-barista hybrid who knows his beans like poetry. Pick cherries fresh off the tree, taste citrus straight from the grove, and learn what makes Bali’s mountain brews so beloved. After a rich tasting session under swaying trees, you’ll tuck into a rustic lunch of Nyat-Nyat—wok-fried tilapia caught fresh from Lake Batur. It’s earthy, energizing, and steeped in tradition. If you love your coffee with a side of culture and scenery, this is your jam.

Ubud Behind the Scenes (30 May 2025)

Ever wondered what Ubud tastes like before sunrise? This intimate morning walking tour peels back the curtain on Bali’s culinary heartbeat. Start with kopi Bali and banana fritters on a quiet corner as Ubud wakes up. Then, bite into Ubud’s culinary legends: crispy babi guling at Ibu Oka’s, slow-cooked bebek betutu, and stories from local food artisans who’ve fed the town for generations. It all ends at Casa Luna, where breakfast becomes a spiritual experience overlooking a jungle ravine. With every bite, you taste legacy—and with every step, you become part of Ubud’s early-morning rhythm.

Taste of Tabanan Tour (30 May 2025)

Tabanan isn’t just rice terraces and mountain air—it’s a flavor frontier. This full-day foodie adventure starts with a hands-on lesson in brewing tuak jaka, Bali’s beloved palm wine. Sip, swirl, and smile your way through a village distillery before hitting Desa Coklat for chocolate heaven. Walk through cacao groves, sample artisanal chocolate, and then stroll through Jatiluwih’s UNESCO-listed rice fields. The tour climaxes with lunch at a hidden warung, where you’ll devour smoky urutan babi asap (spiced pork sausage) and rustic sides. It’s a journey that connects land, tradition, and taste in one unforgettable, off-the-beaten-path experience.

Foraging and Arak Tour in Batukaru (30 May 2025)

Ready to trade tourist trails for jungle trails? The Foraging and Arak Tour in Batukaru is a wild ride through sacred rainforest terrain. You’ll hike under towering ferns, nibble wild herbs, and discover Bali’s edible secrets alongside a passionate local guide. Then, things turn spirited—literally—as you visit the hidden distillery of Karusotju, where traditional arak gets a gourmet upgrade. Taste honey-sweet potato liquor in a jungle tasting room before enjoying a serene forest lunch paired with jungle vibes and good conversation. This is storytelling, spirituality, and sipping all rolled into one raw, refreshing Bali experience.

Culinary Jalan-Jalan to Sukawati (31 May 2025)

Get ready to eat like a true local in Sukawati—a town untouched by Bali’s tourist buzz. This half-day “jalan-jalan” stroll takes you through bustling village markets, tofu workshops, and smoky home kitchens where age-old recipes still rule. Watch how tofu is handcrafted the traditional way, then taste it in lawar—a spicy coconut and veggie mix with bold flavors. Sweeten things up with chewy jaja gambir, then settle into a no-frills, all-heart lunch at Men Sarti’s famous food stall. A simple tofu rice plate and a fresh coconut later, you’ll be convinced: authenticity tastes better in Sukawati.

Wild Foraging & Cooking with Chef Krisna (31 May 2025)

Chef Krisna doesn’t do restaurants—he does riverside jungles, crackling fires, and food that’s foraged with love. On this immersive tour, you’ll explore Bali’s wild edibles along the lush banks of Sayan, learning which “weeds” are actually ancient superfoods. Then it’s time to cook! With banana leaves as cutting boards and firewood as your stove, you’ll help prepare a jungle feast the old-school way: think fire-roasted roots, wild fern salads, and river fish steamed in leaves. Lunch by the river is followed by a cooling swim under a canopy of green. It’s earthy, elemental, and utterly unforgettable.

Bites & Feasts: Gianyar Night Market Tour (31 May 2025)

When the sun sets, the grills fire up—and Gianyar becomes Bali’s street food kingdom. This evening tour takes you deep into the bustling night market scene where satay sizzles, bananas fry, and local dialects dance in the air. Sample your way through spicy meatballs, gooey martabak, and sizzling skewers before sitting down for a grand finale dinner of babi guling and betutu. Surrounded by locals and fueled by spice, you’ll experience the rhythm of real Balinese life after dark. It’s noisy, it’s delicious, and it’s a night you’ll wish would never end.

Les is More Tour (1 June 2025)

Far from Bali’s crowds lies Les, a village where time slows and flavor deepens. On this full-day tour to North Bali, you’ll meet Chef Yudi—village priest and culinary master—at his rustic kitchen, Dapur Bali Mula. With clay pots simmering and tales flowing, he’ll serve up ancestral dishes like sate lilit, bamboo-steamed fish, and tangy fish soup flavored with mountain herbs. Along the way, you’ll snack on local treats and sip handcrafted arak that burns (and delights) in all the right ways. Les might be remote, but it proves that the richest flavors come from the quietest places.

Salt, Sugar & Satay Tour (1 June 2025)

This East Bali tour is sweet, salty, and smoky in all the best ways. Start in the jungle at a traditional palm sugar farm where sap is collected from towering trees and boiled into rich caramel cakes. Then, swap treetops for tidepools as you head to the coast to witness sea salt being harvested by hand under the Bali sun. To end? A satay feast at Warung Mertasari, where smoky skewers of minced fish are grilled over coconut husks. You’ll leave full—of food and wonder—with edible souvenirs in hand and stories you’ll tell long after the salt has melted.

🎟️ How to Sign Up for the Ubud Food Festival Food Tours

Signing up for a food tour at the Ubud Food Festival 2025 is super easy—just head to the official website at ubudfoodfestival.com and check out the Food Tours section under the program lineup. Once you find a tour that tempts your taste buds, you can book directly online. Spots are limited and these tours are known to sell out fast, so grab yours early!

🎉 What Makes UFF 2025 Extra Special?

This isn’t just any year—it’s the 10th edition of UFF, and the energy is going to be electric. Here's what's setting 2025 apart:

• The "Heritage" Theme brings timeless flavors to the forefront. Think dishes inspired by grandmothers’ handwritten recipes and traditional cooking methods passed down like family heirlooms.
• Spotlight on Women in Food – Inspired by the stunning official poster created by Balinese illustrator Gusde Sidhi, the festival honors the role of women as the keepers and innovators of Indonesia’s culinary heritage.
• Immersive Art Meets Cuisine – This year’s festival visuals are a treat in themselves, weaving vintage-style poster art with rich Indonesian motifs—making every corner of the venue a backdrop for your next Insta story.

🧑‍🍳 Who You'll Meet

UFF is your backstage pass to the people shaping Indonesia’s future food scene. From young culinary prodigies bringing contemporary twists to traditional dishes to seasoned masters preserving age-old techniques, this is a meeting ground for passionate foodies and food makers.

Expect to cross paths with:

• Michelin-starred guest chefs
• Indigenous ingredient specialists
• Coffee and cacao farmers from Sulawesi and Flores
• Culinary historians and cookbook authors
• Trendsetting foodpreneurs shaking up Bali’s café culture

🛍️ Take the Taste Home

From spice mixes and artisan condiments to locally sourced snacks and handcrafted kitchenware, the Food Market is the place to shop for authentic edible souvenirs. It’s not just about tasting—you get to support small producers, learn their stories, and bring a piece of Bali’s culinary heart back home.

🌍 Why It Matters

UFF isn't just a feast for your taste buds—it's a platform for sustainability, community building, and culinary education. By spotlighting local producers, reviving forgotten recipes, and opening the floor to conversations on food justice and innovation, the festival leaves a lasting impact on both the palate and the planet.

As festival founder Janet DeNeefe puts it, “Heritage isn’t just about the past—it’s about the flavors and stories we keep alive every day.”

🎟️ Planning Your Trip

• Dates: May 30 – June 1, 2025
• Location: Taman Kuliner, Ubud, Bali
• Tickets: Free entry to the Food Market; pre-sale tickets for masterclasses and special events open in April 2025.

Ubud’s rich cultural atmosphere, lush scenery, and warm community make it the perfect setting for this one-of-a-kind festival. Whether you're chasing culinary thrills, seeking new knowledge, or just hungry for something deliciously different—Ubud Food Festival 2025 promises a journey your taste buds will never forget.