Cooking in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is not just a fun side activity-it’s essential for survival and success in your adventure across Hyrule. Whether you want to restore health, boost your stamina, or gain special resistances, learning how to cook food effectively will make your journey much easier. If you’re wondering, how do you cook food in Breath of the Wild?, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know with simple steps and helpful tips.
Finding a Cooking Pot and Starting a Fire
The first thing you need to cook food in Breath of the Wild is a cooking pot. These pots are usually found near campsites, stables, villages, and inns around Hyrule. Most of the time, a cooking pot will be positioned over an open flame, but if it’s not lit, you’ll have to start the fire yourself.
Here’s how to get that fire going:
– Use a torch to light the fire underneath the pot. You can light a torch from an existing flame or by striking flint with a metal weapon.
– If no fire is nearby, you can create one by dropping wood and flint on the ground and hitting it with a sword or another weapon.
– Once the fire is lit, stand close to the pot to start cooking.
Keep in mind, if it’s raining, you won’t be able to light a fire, so you might want to wait or find shelter before cooking.
Selecting Ingredients to Cook
Once you have a lit cooking pot, it’s time to gather ingredients. Open your inventory and select up to five items you want to cook together. These can be anything from meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, herbs, mushrooms, and even monster parts or insects for elixirs.
A few tips on ingredients:
– Combining meat or fish with vegetables or herbs usually results in meals that restore health and sometimes grant bonuses like increased stamina or resistance to cold.
– Monster parts and insects are used to make elixirs, which provide buffs such as increased stealth, speed, or defense.
– Cooking five of the same ingredient at once usually produces a dish with the maximum effect of that ingredient.
Cooking Your Food
After selecting your ingredients, stand near the cooking pot and choose the “cook” option. Link will toss the ingredients into the pot, and after a short animation, you’ll get a meal or elixir.
Some foods can also be cooked directly over an open flame without a pot, such as raw meat turning into seared steak. Just drop the meat onto the fire, and it will cook after a moment.
Experimenting with Recipes
One of the most exciting parts of cooking in Breath of the Wild is experimenting with different ingredient combinations. You can discover numerous recipes that provide various effects:
– Health restoration: Basic meals like Mushroom Kababs or Meat Stews restore hearts.
– Buffs: Add ingredients like spicy peppers for cold resistance or hearty radishes for extra hearts.
– Special effects: Some recipes grant temporary boosts to stealth, speed, or defense.
Be mindful that mixing incompatible ingredients, like insects with unrelated foods, can produce meals with little to no beneficial effect and may taste bad in the game’s lore.
Tips for Cooking Success
– Use at least one high-quality ingredient (like a hearty radish or prime meat) to maximize the meal’s effect.
– Adding multiple seasoning ingredients can increase the potency or duration of buffs.
– Pay attention to ingredient effects; for example, spicy ingredients grant cold resistance, while fireproof ingredients help in hot areas.
– Keep a variety of meals and elixirs ready to handle different challenges in the game.
Where to Find Cooking Pots
Cooking pots are scattered throughout Hyrule. You’ll find them in:
– Villages such as Kakariko Village and Hateno Village
– Stables like Outskirt Stable and Riverside Stable
– Campsites and inns near major quest locations
If you’re ever unsure, look for a pot over a fire, or a fire pit with a pot nearby. These are your cooking stations.
Why Cooking Matters in Breath of the Wild
Cooking isn’t just about restoring health. It’s a core survival mechanic that helps Link:
– Recover hearts more efficiently than eating raw ingredients.
– Gain temporary abilities and resistances to harsh weather or enemy attacks.
– Boost stamina for climbing, running, or gliding longer distances.
– Prepare for tough battles with meals that increase attack or defense.
Mastering cooking will make your adventure smoother and more enjoyable.
Cooking in Breath of the Wild is intuitive, rewarding, and encourages creativity. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find yourself experimenting with recipes to tailor meals for every situation in Hyrule.
Enjoy your cooking adventure, and may your meals always be delicious and powerful!
Cooking food in Breath of the Wild is simple: find a cooking pot, light the fire, select up to five ingredients from your inventory, and cook to create meals or elixirs that restore health and grant useful buffs. Experiment with combinations to discover the best recipes for your journey.