Ubud Morning Market Guide: What to See, Buy & Eat
Every class begins at a vibrant local Ubud morning market, where you’ll pick fresh herbs, spices, and produce with your chef before heading to the kitchen. Learn if a cooking class is right for your itinerary.
Long before the souvenir stalls take over, the Ubud market is a working local food market — and it’s one of the most rewarding things to see in town if you go early. Here’s how to experience it like a local.
When to go
Arrive between 6 and 8am. This is when Balinese families shop for the day, the produce is freshest, and the souvenir vendors who dominate later haven’t set up yet. By mid-morning the food market winds down and the tourist market takes over.
What to look for
- Fresh spices and aromatics — galangal, turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime.
- Palm sugar (gula merah), sold in solid discs.
- Tofu and tempeh, made locally and sold fresh daily.
- Banana leaves for wrapping and steaming pepes.
- Tropical fruit — snakefruit (salak), mangosteen, rambutan, jackfruit.
- Pre-made spice pastes and sambals from the warung stalls.
What to eat
Look for jaja Bali (colourful traditional cakes), bubur (rice porridge) for breakfast, and freshly made snacks wrapped in banana leaf. Bring small cash notes — most stalls can’t change large bills.
See it with a guide
The market is far richer when someone explains what everything is and how it’s used. Our cooking class with market tour starts right here — you pick the ingredients, then cook them. Curious what comes next? Read about the dishes you’ll cook.
