In Breath of the Wild, one of the main quests involves cooking various dishes to serve to an old man who lives on the Great Plateau. Cooking is an essential mechanic in the game that allows Link to restore health, gain temporary buffs, and resist the elements. The old man provides clues about which ingredients to use, and rewards Link once the correct dish is prepared. This guide will go over the different recipes needed to satisfy the old man and progress through this part of the story.
The Old Man’s Stew
The first dish the old man asks for is simply called “Meat and Mushroom Skewers.” For this recipe, you’ll need to cook together raw meat and hylian mushrooms. Raw meat can be obtained by hunting animals like boars, deer, or wolves. Hylian mushrooms grow abundantly around the Great Plateau, especially near trees.
To cook, go into your inventory and hold up to 5 pieces of raw meat and hylian mushrooms. Then select “Cook” to combine them. Meat and Mushroom Skewers will restore some of Link’s health when consumed. After cooking, talk to the old man again and select the dish from your inventory to serve it to him. He will happily accept it.
Ingredients for Meat and Mushroom Skewers
| Raw Meat | Hylian Mushrooms |
| 1-5 pieces | 1-5 pieces |
Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry
After sampling the Meat and Mushroom Skewers, the old man will request something to warm him up. For this, you’ll need to make Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry. The key ingredients are raw meat and spicy peppers.
Raw meat can again be obtained by hunting animals around the Great Plateau. For spicy peppers, look for small red peppers growing on bushes in warmer areas. You can hold up to 5 raw meats and spicy peppers to cook them together.
This will create a dish that restores health and also makes Link resistant to cold temperatures for a short time. Serve the Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry to the old man for his second dish.
Ingredients for Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry
| Raw Meat | Spicy Peppers |
| 1-5 pieces | 1-5 pieces |
Seafood Curry Rice
For the old man’s third and final dish, he requests something with “mix of nutrients.” This hints that you’ll need to use fish or crabs for the protein. The recipe that satisfies him is Seafood Curry Rice.
To make it, gather fish like bass or crabs like razorclaws. These can be found in ponds and rivers in the wilderness. You’ll also need rice, which can be found growing near water. Finally, collect hot peppers or gorons spice to add heat and nutrients to the curry.
Hold up to 5 pieces of seafood along with rice and peppers/spice and cook them to create the Seafood Curry Rice. It will restore health and guard against cold. Give the dish to the old man to complete this part of the quest.
Ingredients for Seafood Curry Rice
| Fish or Crab Meat | Rice | Spicy Pepper or Goron Spice |
| 1-5 pieces | 1-5 pieces | 1-2 pieces |
The Old Man’s Reward
After the three dishes have been served, the old man is very grateful. As a reward, he provides Link with a warm doublet that provides cold resistance. This opens up more areas to explore. He also reveals his true identity as the spirit of King Rhoam, and gives Link more information on his quest to defeat Calamity Ganon.
Cooking the dishes for the old man is a creative way to teach the player about crafting and using various ingredients. It also provides useful buffs along the way. The simple act of sharing food brings the mysterious old man and Link closer together. And it reveals there is more to this eccentric character than first meets the eye.
Other Useful Recipes in Breath of the Wild
While the old man’s dishes focus on restoring health and providing resistance, cooking in Breath of the Wild can produce a wide variety of effects. Here are some other useful recipes to try out on your journey:
Defense Dishes
| Recipe | Effect | Ingredients |
| Fried Wild Greens | High defense boost | Any insects + Fortified Pumpkins |
| Ironshroom Skewer | Raise defense | Raw meat + Ironshrooms |
Attack Power Dishes
| Recipe | Effect | Ingredients |
| Spicy Meat Skewer | Raise attack power | Raw meat + Spicy Peppers |
| Banana Attack Up Recipe | Raise attack | Bananas + Mighty Bananas |
Elemental Resistance
| Recipe | Resists | Ingredients |
| Chilly Elixir | Cold | Spicy Peppers + Cool Safflina |
| Warm Darner Soup | Cold | Warm Safflina + Hot-footed Frogs |
Sneakiness
| Recipe | Effect | Ingredients |
| Sneaky Rice Balls | Quieter movements | Rice + Blue Nightshade |
| Sneaky River Snails | Quieter movements | River Snails + Blue Nightshade |
Stamina Recovery
| Recipe | Effect | Ingredients |
| Stamina Mushroom Skewer | Recover stamina | Raw meat + Stamella Shrooms |
| Enduring Fish Skewer | Recover stamina | Fish + Endura Carrots |
Tips for Cooking in Breath of the Wild
Here are some useful tips to get the most out of cooking in Breath of the Wild:
– Cook during blood moons for an extra buff
– Use Goron Spice, dragon parts, or star fragments to create the strongest dishes
– Cook one ingredient at a time to identify its effect
– Hold ZL to highlight recipe effects before cooking
– Use cooking pots for bonus hearts and stamina recovery
– Find and use the cooking pot near the old man on the Great Plateau
– Talk to NPCs for new recipes and ingredient combinations
– Use spicy, salty, sweet, and sour items together for better results
– Skewers target attack power, while soups boost defense
– Mix food and monster parts for more powerful elixirs
Conclusion
Cooking for the old man in Breath of the Wild teaches the basics of crafting healing and buff dishes. But it’s just the tip of the iceberg for this robust cooking system. With a wide range of ingredients and effects, clever use of cooking can make Link mighty enough to survive the challenges ahead. Keep experimenting with recipes to find your favorites as you journey across Hyrule. Bon appétit!