Palia: How to Cook

Cooking is essential for keeping your Focus high. Here's how to do it in Palia.

Cooking in Palia is an essential skill to master. Not only does making food allow you to increase the value of ingredients, but it also produces items that grant a large amount of Focus. It’s an activity that multiple players can participate in and reap the rewards of at a single time. Here’s how to cook in Palia.

When you first begin the game, Auni will direct you to Reth, who will teach you how to cook. Reth can usually be found at Ormuu’s Horn, the tavern in Kilima Valley, during the day. He tends the counter on the left, which also has the register for the Cooking Guild shop.

Speaking with Reth starts your cooking quests. He’ll give you the plan to build a Campfire and the recipe for Grilled Mushrooms. To build the Campfire on your plot, you’ll need:

Once you have it built, you can start cooking food. Grilled Mushrooms requires three mushrooms. You can find Mountain Morels around your home area, as well as in the Kilima Valley. Grill them up and collect them once they’re done, then return to Reth to report your progress. A couple of mail deliveries later, you’ll get three more recipes from Reth that only require the Campfire to make.

To get access to more advanced cooking equipment, you have to hit Cooking Level 2. When you do, you’ll get a letter from Reth asking you to visit him. If you’re like me, you’ve already been visiting him daily, but now he’ll grant you access to the Guild shop.

From the Guild Shop, you’ll get the plans for the Standard Stove and Prep Station. To build the Stove, you’ll need the following items:

The Prep Station requires:

You need both pieces of equipment built to start making more complicated dishes. Here, you’ll be introduced to minigames while cooking. Interacting with the Stove allows you to select which recipe to make, as well as what equipment is needed. You can select recipes even if you don’t have all the ingredients, as the game assumes those you’re playing with will have the missing items. The recipe card will also show you what steps to take to finish the dish, as well as what equipment is required.

Once you click “Make” to start cooking, a timer will pop up above the stove. To correctly make a dish, you must finish all steps within the allotted time. More complex dishes have longer times, while simpler soups have shorter timers. Begin with the Prep Station, which has two minigames depending on the item that’s being readied.

After you’ve finished prepping the ingredients, add them to the Stove with RMB. Then click and hold the button to stir it. If you have more ingredients to add, repeat the process above until the dish is complete. Sometimes you’ll have to flip what you’re cooking (such as in the case of Steak Dinner). To do this, hold RMB until the blue circle enters the white area. Missing it can cause the meal to burn.

The next cooking skill equipment you’ll unlock is the Mixing Station. You must reach Cooking Level 3 to get it. Using the Mixing Station is the same as mixing on the Stove, and you’ll need the following materials:

After the Mixing Station comes the Standard Oven, which is the last piece of equipment and unlocks at Cooking Level 4. It requires the following crafting materials:

Interacting directly with the Oven will allow you to whip up a variety of baking recipes, like desserts. Otherwise, you’ll use the Oven much like the Prep Station to make part of a recipe, then add it to the pot on the Stove.

Each recipe has a Complexity Rating, which you can sort by when interacting with Stove or Oven. One spoon is the easiest to prepare, while five spoons is the hardest to prep. As dishes start to involve more steps, it’s beneficial to enlist your friends for aid. Leaving something too long can cause it to burn, or you may miss a step completely or run out of time. Having friends help ensures the dish is finished, and everyone gets XP toward their Cooking Skill experience and the prepared meal.

To cook up scrumptious meals, you need recipes. Some of these will be given to you, or you can buy them from Reth at the Cook Guild store. Others can be found when wandering around town, such as at the docks near Einar or in the kitchen at Hodari’s house.

Aside from the beginning recipes you can get from the store, the rest of the recipes and items cost Guild Coins. To get these, you must reach Cooking Level 10. You then start earning coins by completing various tasks.

That’s how to cook in Palia. While you can eat raw food, the best way to keep your Focus, and your tummy, filled is by crafting up a delicious dish. For more walkthroughs, quest tips, or how to become friends with the NPCs, check out our growing Palia guides library.

Ashley, otherwise known as Glitchiee, is an avid gamer of RPGs, TTRPGS, farming sims, The Sims, and a variety of games in between. Playing on the NES and SNES, collecting 1st gen Pokemon cards, and playing on her Gameboy color are some of her favorite memories from early childhood. Combined with a passion for writing, Ashley is focused on bringing the best news, guides, reviews and lists the industry has to offer.