Heinz von Holzen’s ‘Megibung’ Book Collects 110 Balinese Recipes

Nusa Dua — Chef Heinz von Holzen’s new book, Megibung: A Culinary Journey Through Balinese Families & Ceremonies, presents 110 Balinese recipes alongside more than 250 photographs and stories about the island’s food traditions, according to a 15 September 2026 feature by lifestyle magazine NOW! Bali. The book invites readers to explore communal dining, family life and religious ceremonies through food, and is described as the culmination of von Holzen’s three decades of cooking and photographing on the island.

The title refers to megibung, a Balinese communal dining practice centred on sharing food from a single platter. In the excerpted introduction published by NOW! Bali, von Holzen writes that megibung symbolises unity, harmony, respect and togetherness, and frames shared meals as a way of strengthening relationships and building community. He notes that the practice remains closely linked to temple festivals, weddings, family gatherings, cremation ceremonies and other important religious occasions in Bali.

Food as living culture

NOW! Bali describes Megibung as more than a conventional recipe book, positioning it as a celebration of the people, traditions, ceremonies and culinary heritage that have shaped Bali for centuries. Every recipe is presented as carrying a story and occupying a place within Balinese culture, with communal meals helping preserve traditions for future generations.

The magazine’s report says the volume was created over three decades of living and learning on the island, and highlights its combination of written narratives and photography. Von Holzen is introduced as an avid photographer whose interest in Bali has been “as visual as it has been culinary,” and the article emphasises that the book’s photographs are integral to documenting Balinese food culture rather than serving merely as decoration.

From hotel kitchen to cookbook author

Von Holzen, a Swiss-trained chef, first came to Bali in 1990 to take on the role of opening executive chef at the Grand Hyatt Bali. His curiosity about Balinese cuisine led to his first cookbook and, over time, a series of books dedicated to Balinese and Indonesian food, according to biographical notes on his photography website.

NOW! Bali reports that his engagement with local food traditions deepened through his marriage to his wife Puji, whose Balinese family gave him access to village life, ceremonies and home cooking. Over the years, von Holzen documented his culinary discoveries across the island, work that the magazine describes as forming the backbone of the new book.

Alongside his writing and photography, von Holzen is known as the founder of Bumbu Bali Restaurant and Art Cafe Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua. The restaurants and associated cooking school specialise in Balinese cuisine, and offer market tours and classes that introduce visitors to local ingredients and techniques. These long-running culinary and educational activities are presented in the NOW! Bali feature as part of the wider context for Megibung.

Availability in Bali and online

According to NOW! Bali, Megibung: A Culinary Journey Through Balinese Families & Ceremonies is available in good Indonesian bookstores, online through hvhphotography.com, and directly at Bumbu Bali restaurants. The article specifically mentions Art Cafe Bumbu Bali on Jalan Siligita No. 101 in Nusa Dua as a place where readers can find the book, and lists artcafebumbubali.com as the cafe’s website.

Contact details for Art Cafe Bumbu Bali and Bumbu Bali Restaurant, including their Nusa Dua addresses, are also published on hvhphotography.com, supporting the cafe’s role as a point of sale.

Further information on the site notes that von Holzen has authored around ten cookbooks focused on Balinese and Indonesian cuisine, reflecting a sustained effort to document regional food traditions and the stories behind them. Prospective readers and visitors are encouraged to check directly with bookstores or the restaurants for current availability, as stock and distribution arrangements may change.

Sources

• NOW! Bali – “MEGIBUNG, A New Book by Chef Heinz von Holzen”
• Heinz von Holzen / hvhphotography.com – biography and galleries
• Art Cafe Bumbu Bali – Gallery page
• The New York Times – "Food; Tropical Heat"