Best Early Game Meals in Tears of the Kingdom

Food and cooking play a significant role in Breath of the Wild, and it’s no different in Tears of the Kingdom. With the Hearty Durian Farm removed from the game and Durians being non-existent, you might be wondering what you should be cooking. In this article, we’ll cover the best early game meals, where to farm the ingredients, and how to get critical cooks every time without needing a Blood Moon.

Hearty Foods and Where to Find Them

Since Hearty Durians are no longer available in the game, your best bet for hearty foods is Hearty Truffles and Big Hearty Truffles, found in caves throughout Hyrule, and Hearty Radishes and Big Hearty Radishes, found in Sky Islands. One of the best ways to find caves in Tears of the Kingdom is to look for Sakura trees. Offering a fruit to the tree will cause Satori to spawn and light up all the caves in the area, making it easier to find the ingredients you need.

Cooking with Hearty Foods

Hearty foods are much rarer in Tears of the Kingdom, so it’s essential to cook them one at a time to maximize their benefits. Cooking one regular Hearty Truffle will yield a Hearty Mushroom Skewer, providing full heart recovery plus one temporary heart. A single Big Hearty Truffle will give you full recovery plus four temporary hearts. The same principle applies to Hearty Radishes and Big Hearty Radishes.

Stamina Recovery with Endura Carrots

Stamina recovery is even more critical in Tears of the Kingdom than in Breath of the Wild. Endura Carrots are your primary source for stamina recovery, and you should cook them one at a time for maximum benefits. Cooking one Endura Carrot will give you four hearts of recovery, a third of a bonus stamina wheel, and a full stamina refill. You can find Endura Carrots in various locations, such as south of Central Hyrule and near the Highland Stables.

Golden Apples for Guaranteed Critical Cooks

To get guaranteed critical cooks without waiting for a Blood Moon, you’ll need Golden Apples. You can find them in abundance at Satori Mountain, southwest of Lookout Landing. The respawn rate for Golden Apples is high, so you can farm them regularly for all your critical cooking needs.

Useful Early Game Recipes

With Golden Apples in hand, you can create some powerful early game recipes. Here are a few examples:

• Mighty Bananas: Combine four Mighty Bananas and a Golden Apple for a tier three attack up with an additional five minutes on the timer. You can farm Mighty Bananas above the Lakeside Stable.
• Bright Mushroom Skewers: Cook four Bright Mushrooms and a Golden Apple to create a dish that makes Link glow in the dark, with an increased glow radius and duration.
• Sunderland: Combine Sunderland with meat to recover both regular and broken hearts simultaneously. Cooking one Sunderland with meat will recover three hearts and fix three broken hearts.
• Dark Clumps: Combine Dark Clumps with meat to create Warding Meat Skewers, which provide Gloom resistance. Use Golden Apples to increase the Gloom resistance level.

Conclusion

While there’s much more to explore in cooking in Tears of the Kingdom, these early game meals and tips will help you get a strong start. For more content, check out our guides on acquiring powerful gear and obtaining the Master Sword in Tears of the Kingdom.