Banana (”biu” in Balinese) in Balinese life is a non-substitutable part, that have merged into the Balinese daily life and become a necessity whether for ceremonial purpose or secular one. Banana in Bali is usually grown on the backyard of the house or crowded the backyard, as a matter of fact.

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English maybe satisfied with a general word “banana” for all species banana but Balinese prefer to do something in complicated way, and with Banana, Balinese language coins a word for each species of Banana. There is red one, called biu udang, meaning ”shrimp banana.” There are delicious tiny ones, no longer than the length of your finger, called milk bananas, biu susu. Biu kate plants are dwarfs but the fruit is normal size. Biu gadang is still quite green when ripe and ready to eat. Biu mas is of a deep golden color. Biu kayu is long and skinny. Biu dak sangket resembles a hook. Biu raja, king banana is as big as banana that are sell in supermarket or maybe it is.

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Colossal megibung at Taman Ujung Sukasada Karangasem broke the world record of largest communal eating, 19,768 people participated in this megibung (communal eating) event. The participants came from all over Karangasem regency. The participants of megibung were divided into groups called sela; each group consists of eight people of same gender, sitting cross-legged in circle on the grass. There were 2,452 sela (group of eight people) and 152 wanci (a special table for one person).

Food for megibung was arranged in accordance with the philosophy of Balinese cosmogony. The food consisted of a big portion of nasi (steam rice) completed with the variety of side dishes like pork satay, lawar (mixture of vegetable and pork) and some vegetable. The side dishes were arranged based on the Balinese cosmogony. The gegecok putih (white mixture of vegetable and pork) was placed on the east side of the nasi (steam rice), gegecok kuning (yellow mixture of vegetable and pork) was placed on the west side of the nasi (steam rice), urab barak (red mixture of vegetable and pork) was placed on the south side of the nasi (steam rice), and the star fruit leaves lawar (black mixture of vegetable and pork) was placed on the north side of the nasi (steam rice).

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