Cooking Advice From Link, the Champion of Hyrule
Set the oven to 350. Always 350
Not that I need an excuse to gush about Breath of the Wild but the recent release of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a good reason. Now that we’re returning to that world I got to thinking about one of my favorite aspects of the original: making food. It ranks right up there with “wandering around aimlessly because I can” and “foolishly fighting golden lynels to feel like a badass.”
Since we’re about to celebrate National Food Coma Day I thought I’d look back on the food lessons our amnesiac champion Link learned throughout his journey. Shoutout to everyone cooking tomorrow, or today, or who started already, or hell, if you’re putting a ready-made meal in the oven I don’t care let’s talk about food!
- Season your food
L I S T E N.
Link’s been asleep for a cool century and somehow he knows that adding some extra herbs and spices is necessary when it comes to cooking. In fact, if you do this, it’ll increase how much health you get from the food. Rock salt. Goat butter. Goron spice. Hyrule herb.
Yes, eating that hunk of meat will heal you, but adding seasoning? Not only will certain ingredients increase your health, but they’ll also increase the number of hearts you have, your stats, and even boost elemental effects. There’s a number of extras you can add after you catch that fish or blow up that goat with a bomb.
… what do you mean that’s not how you hunt?
- Experiment
You’re never really given a recipe book when you play the game. The old man you run into at the beginning will give some basic tips, but overall you’re encouraged to just throw shit in a pot and go. Sometimes the outcome may be a bit dubious, but eventually, you begin to figure out what works best for you. It’s amazing what different combinations you can make with the same base ingredients, just with a tweak every now and then.
- Don’t forget your fruits and veggies
The first time I ran into cooked meat was when I finally lept off the Great Plateau (safely) and stumbled onto a bokoblin campsite. Up until that point, I relied solely on fruits and veggies. Even if I enjoyed all the meaty options of the game (and there’s a LOT of varying sizes depending on the animal you kill) I never forgot to throw some apples and peppers in with Link’s diet. It especially worked to throw the fruits and veggies in with the meat, or the rice, or whatever else I was cooking up on my adventure.
- Eat a full meal
You might be tempted to stuff a bunch of little things in your mouth, especially in the heat of battle, but after a while, you realize that it takes a lot of nuts and apples to get your health up to its max level. This is why cooking meals is crucial, hell, even just cooking an apple on its own gives it more of a health boost. Make yourself a full plate. You’re the champion of Hyrule, eat like it!
- Stock up
Just.
Make all the food.
Take it with you.
Save it for later.
When you find a spot to cook at don’t just make one thing. Trust me, you don’t know what’s up ahead, so prepare yourself. It’s perfectly fine to have an entire inventory page dedicated to food, there’s a reason why you get so much space.
- Watch your food so it doesn’t overcook
When Link cooks he stays by the pot, watching everything until it’s done. Of course, for Thanksgiving, there are certain dishes that cook for a long time. Still, don’t forget to check on them, watch the things that need to be stirred or basted, remember to add that glaze or whatever favorable extra you made for the meal. Set a timer if you have to or rely on the ancestors to guide you to the oven when it’s time (or, if you’re me, call your mother and get the estimated cook time of “30 to 40 minutes, you’ll know when it’s done,” and… find out that she’s right, lol).
- Celebrate your meal
That little happy sound Link lets out when the food is done? Yeah. Do that. Do that proudly. Because you just made a meal or bought one, whatever, it doesn’t matter, food should be appreciated. There’s a reason why Link has such a happy expression when he’s cooking and, later, eating.
Link is happiest when cooking.
Happy “Food Is Yummy And Belongs In My Tummy” Day!
(Image: Nintendo)
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