People often say they want to eat local. But when it comes to grocery shopping, familiar usually wins.
At Bali Direct Store, we’re not just trying to source local products. We also want to champion the plants and food traditions this island has grown up with—especially the organic, nutrient-dense ingredients that imported staples have gradually pushed aside.
It’s not as easy as it sounds.
We’ve introduced ingredients like pakis, kemangi, moringa, petai, bitter gourd and winged bean, alongside products such as sorghum and millet flour, arenga sugar, TimuRasa kenari butter and Balisiwid seaweed condiments. Many of these ingredients are better suited to Indonesia’s climate, packed with nutrients, and have been part of local food traditions for generations. You can also explore our Local Vegetables to discover more seasonal produce grown in Bali.
Yet our best-selling vegetables are still broccoli and English spinach—both among the harder vegetables to grow organically in Bali.
Our best guess? People shop on autopilot, not curiosity.
A weekly grocery shop isn’t usually a taste test. Most people already know what they’re cooking before they walk into the store. Choosing something unfamiliar means taking a small risk. How do I cook it? Will I like it? Will everyone at home eat it?
We’ve seen this before.
Before Bali Direct Store, our founder worked on food security projects with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). One of the biggest challenges wasn’t making nutritious local food available—it was encouraging people to choose it.
Moringa only became more accepted in Indonesian households once it appeared in noodles and snacks, rather than as fresh leaves to boil. Cassava greens became more interesting once local chefs transformed them into dishes people wanted to try, rather than seeing them as a fallback ingredient.
The context was different, of course, but perhaps the lesson is similar.
Maybe putting local ingredients on a shelf isn’t enough. Maybe they need recipes, tastings, cooking inspiration and stories that help people feel confident enough to take them home.
We’re still figuring it out. But we believe many local and indigenous ingredients deserve more than just shelf space.
Next time you’re in store, visit our Green Campaign display and discover locally grown vegetables from Bali. If something catches your eye, ask us about it—we’re always happy to share cooking ideas and help you discover a new favourite. You can also browse our Local Vegetables online to see what’s currently available.
