Variety of Quality Products from the Land of Bali

Various local Balinese products are able to compete with imported products. Balinese produce is delicious, like heavenly food.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Ragam Produk Berkualitas dari Tanah Bali

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Fermented cocoa beans are dried until their moisture content is reduced at the cocoa bean drying facility at the Swadaya Agricultural and Rural Training Center (P4S) of Cau Chocolates Bali in Cau Hamlet, Tua Petiga Village, Marga District, Tabanan Regency on Monday (13/11/2023).

Every inch of land in Bali seems to be blessed. Every day, people in Bali, especially Hindus, serve saiban, which is a simple offering from cooking in the kitchen, while saying a prayer of thanks for the good fortune of the Creator of Nature, Ida Sang hyang Widhi Wasa. These offerings and prayers are believed to have a positive impact on nature and the environment and its inhabitants.

The blessing of the land in Bali is enjoyed by Pod Chocolate Factory, a chocolate producer in Bali, now known as Junglegold Bali. This chocolate industry was established by I Gusti Ayu Agung Inda Trimafo Yudha and her husband, Tobias Garrit, through PT Bali Coklat in 2010. They produce consumption chocolate, whose raw materials are derived from cocoa plantations in Bali.

"My husband and I established a business called Pod Chocolate, which has now become Junglegold, because we saw the great potential of Bali in the tourism and hospitality sectors, particularly in relation to its cuisine," said Gung Inda, also known as I Gusti Ayu Agung Inda Trimafo Yudha, speaking about the establishment of Junglegold Bali on Tuesday (13/11/2023)."

For Gung Inda, business in the tourism sector is not a new thing as he has been involved in the business for over 20 years. In fact, Gung Inda is the Chairman of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Recreational Park Business Association (PUTRI).

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The branded chocolate products of Junglegold Bali were displayed in the lobby of Ruang Kerta Gosana in the office of the Regent of Badung, Badung Regency, on Thursday (16/11/2023).

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The cocoa processing industry, built by Gung Inda and Tobias Garrit, has borne sweet fruit for 13 years. The consumption of Junglegold Bali branded chocolate produced by PT Bali Coklat has received positive appreciation and recognition in several chocolate trade exhibitions both domestically and internationally, including at the international chocolate exhibition Salon du Chocolat in Paris, France, in early November 2023.

Junglegold Bali is renowned for being a premium natural and plant-based chocolate product from Bali.

International recognition for processed products from the harvest land in Bali has also been repeatedly achieved by Hatten Wines, a wine producer based in Bali.

The latest award, namely the Chenin Blanc Limited Edition wine from Hatten Wines, has received an award in the form of a silver medal at the Austrian Wine Challenge (AWC) Vienna 2023 and a Gold Medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (WSC) 2023 .

The wine beverage from Hatten Wines uses raw ingredients of grapes harvested from a vineyard in Bali, specifically from the northern region of Bali. The dry land of northern Bali, which is typically unsuitable for farming, surprisingly provides the perfect area for grape cultivation.

"The land in northern Bali is no less productive even though the plains are dry," said I Komang Yeni Iramahayani (36), a Hatten Wines employee, who is also a winemaker at Hatten Wines.

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Enjoying a glass of wine produced from the harvested grapes at Hatten Wines vineyard in Sanggalangit village, Gerokgak district, Buleleng regency, on Thursday (2/11/2023).

Found at the grape harvest celebration at Hatten Wines vineyard in Sanggalangit Village, Gerokgak District, Buleleng Regency, on Thursday (11/2/2023), Yeni explained that the soil in Indonesia, including Bali, has advantages compared to the soil in mainland Europe due to the influence of seasons.

The land in North Bali is not less productive despite being a dry plain.

Abroad, according to Yeni, grape harvest is carried out once a year, namely during the dry season. Meanwhile, in Bali, said Yeni, grape harvest can be done twice a year.

"To maintain the quality of the harvest, we only harvest grapes during the beginning of the dry season starting from mid-July until November," said Yeni. The advantage of cultivating grapes in one's own garden, according to Yeni, is being able to regulate the plant's production for harvesting."

"We can maintain the level of fruit taste, including the tannin content of grapes, through care starting from planting and maintenance," said Yeni.

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Processing of chocolate at the Cau Chocolates Bali factory facility in Cau Hamlet, Tua Petiga Village, Marga District, Tabanan Regency on Monday (13/11/2023).

The processed products produced from the gardens in Bali also support Bali's presence as a tourist destination for domestic and foreign tourists. In addition to cocoa and grapes, the agricultural products from Bali that have also gained recognition for their quality include Arabica coffee, Robusta coffee, and cashews. These three commodities, namely Kintamani Arabica coffee, Pupuan Robusta coffee, and Kubu cashews, have obtained Geographical Indication certificates.

Regarding the sale of Balinese wine, the manager of a supermarket in the Lovina tourist area, Kalibukbuk Village, Buleleng, Made Suargita, said that Balinese wine has long been sold in supermarkets and shopping centers. Suargita stated that local wine is able to compete with imported wine.

”Wine connoisseurs tend to be fanatical about certain brands. "However, local wine is also well marketed in our supermarkets," said Suargita in Gerokgak, Buleleng, Thursday (2/11/2023).

Also read: Bringing back the Golden Age of Balinese Wine

The reliability of Bali's agricultural products is recognized by the Chairman of Paiketan (Association) Perumda Pangan Bali, who is also the Chief Director of Perumda Dharma Santika Kabupaten Tabanan, I Kompyang Gede Pasek Weda.

Kompyang Gede revealed that the agricultural and livestock products from farmers or breeders in Bali have been utilized to fulfill the needs of the tourism industry, both in hotels and restaurants, in Bali.

"Starting in 2021, with the collaboration of the Marriott International group, the absorption of local agricultural and livestock products, primarily for hotels, is increasingly developing," said Kompyang Gede in Badung.

At least 52 hotels, especially five-star hotels, in Bali have been regularly supplied with rice, eggs, and chicken meat from farms and livestock in Bali.

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A variety of chocolate products are produced by PT Cau Coklat Internasional in Cau Hamlet, Tua Petiga Village, Marga District, Tabanan Regency, on Monday (13/11/2023).

The absorption of local Bali products, according to Kompyang Gede, is also a form of commitment from the implementation of the Bali Governor Regulation Number 99 of 2018 regarding the Marketing and Utilization of Bali's Agricultural, Fisheries, and Local Industry Products.

To maintain quality, continuity, capacity, and affordability, according to Kompyang Gede, the agricultural and livestock products are supplied through the regional public company (perumda) in Bali.

For I Made Rai, an employee in the cocoa plantation managed by PT Cau Coklat Internasional in Dusun Cau, Tua Petiga Village, Marga District, Tabanan Regency, cocoa cultivation from upstream to downstream to become a commercial product in the form of consumer chocolate provides employment opportunities for himself and the local community.

Rai was inspecting cocoa trees when we met in Cau Village, Marga, on Monday (13/11/2023). In addition to taking care of cocoa trees, Rai is also responsible for overseeing the fermentation and drying process of cocoa beans at the Cau Chocolates Bali Agricultural and Rural Training Center (P4S) in Marga, Tabanan.

The consumption of chocolate made by PT Cau Chocolate International, known under the brand CAU Chocolates, is well-known. The chocolate industry was founded in 2015 by I Wayan Alit Arta Wiguna, who has a background in agricultural education. This was explained by the Division Manager of PT Cau Chocolate International's plantation division, I Made Budiana, during our meeting at the CAU Chocolate factory on Monday (13/11/2023).

"Budiana (56) said that Pak Alit wants to make processed products that are produced from land in Bali."

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Cocoa plants at the Pusat Pelatihan Pertanian dan Perdesaan Swadaya (P4S) Cau Chocolates Bali farm in Dusun Cau, Tua Petiga Village, Marga District, Tabanan Regency, were observed on Monday (13/11/2023).

Budiana, who also has a background in agricultural education and resides in Marga, Tabanan, was interested in joining his colleague, Wayan Alit. According to Budiana, they started their business in trading rice, then livestock, and eventually concentrated on chocolate production.

"Our choice for chocolate is because we see that chocolate consumption is still low, whereas chocolate is a globally popular food," said Budiana.

The advantage of locally produced chocolate, according to Budiana, is that the ingredients can be monitored and guaranteed for their quality. CAU Chocolates are also produced as premium organic chocolate that has obtained INOFICE organic certification.

Budiana added that through the efforts of CAU Chocolates and P4S, they also contribute to the development of cocoa farmers in Bali to cultivate cocoa properly, in order to produce high-quality cocoa beans.

Budiana added that they also introduce chocolate consumption through a restaurant business located in the CAU Chocolates factory area in Marga, Tabanan. According to Budiana, these steps are also a form of education to consume chocolate, not chocolate candy, because chocolate contains nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. Consuming local chocolate products, said Budiana, is also a form of appreciation for local farmers and the results from Bali's land.

It is not wrong to call Bali the "Island of the Gods" because everything that comes from its land tastes as delicious as heavenly food.