Ten or twenty years ago it was unthinkable to use Tuna for offering; turtle was the only sea creature use widely for offering besides the regular land animal such as pig, duck or chicken. The ban on using turtle for offering in early 1990s and the steady rise of pig, duck, and chicken price force Balinese to find alternative meat for offering and Tuna is the most favorite alternative meat.

Tuna meat has some advantages over other meats – the abundance of supply, cheap and simple cooking process. These contribute greatly for the popularity of Tuna as alternative meat for offering. Balinese usually purchase frozen Tuna, grind it and mix it with grated coconut and spices to make sate lilit for selam (a kind of offering which does not use pork) offering. The teenagers of Bali also love to make sate lilit from Tuna, eat as accompaniment of Tuak or Arak (traditional Balinese liquor) since it is quite affordable for their pocket.

The coastal areas of South Bali are the main source of Tuna in Bali. The number of Tuna which is caught by the fishermen of Bali is more than enough to satisfy the local market. Government has initiated an “eat fish” campaign but it only contributes insignificant increase to the daily Tuna consumption in the island.

The reputation of Tuna as a very affordable (cheap) alternative meat and the love of Balinese for pun produce an amusing pun of the word “tuna”. The word “tuna” in Balinese means “poverty” or “lack of economic resource”. So when a Balinese ask his friend who use Tuna meat for offering “what meat will you use for the ceremony”, his friend will likely to answer “Kanggoang tuna nah” which means “hope you don’t mind with the poverty” or “hope you don’t mind with Tuna meat”.

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