In Monster Hunter Wilds, cooking and eating a Meal plays a crucial role in survival. Nevertheless, unlike previous entries, Hunters must prepare their food themselves. Ingredients also need to be procured from the surrounding hunting areas. So how does one get started on prepping a food in this game? Our guide will help you learn and master the cooking system, ensuring you’re always ready for the toughest hunts!
How Cooking Meal Works in Monster Hunter Wilds
Cooking is an essential part of any hunt as eating provides you with valuable buffs. From reduced stamina depletion to prevent carting. A complete Meal consists of three ingredients: Ration, Additional Ingredient, and Finishing Touch. Each part adds a bonus buff to your food, but you can make a Meal with just Ration.
As there is no Canteen in Monster Hunter Wilds, cooking can be done through:
- “Grill a Meal” option in the “Grill BBQ” menu inside a Base Camp or Pop-up Camps.
- Using the Portable BBQ Grill item while hunting.
How to Cook a Well-Done Steak
Before you cook yourself a Meal, you can also use the Portable BBQ Grill to make Well-Done Steaks. This consumable item works similarly like Rations. However, it doesn’t just fills up your depleted Stamina but also boosting both your Health and Stamina bars.
To make a Well-Done Steak you’ll need a Raw Meat which is obtained from various Small Monsters such as Ceratonoth, Dalthydon, Gelidron, and Rafma.
- Wait about 5 seconds after your Hunter starts putting the meat on top of the grill.
- Take a closer look when he flipped the meat.
- When the meat turns from brown to darker brown with grill marks on them and the juice starts to drop, or right before the audio cue ends, press X/A/Left Click.
- If your Hunter chops the meat into 6 pieces then you’ve got it!
If you cooked the meat too fast or too long, you’ll end up with a Rare or Burnt Steak. Both can still heal your Stamina but without the bonuses of a Well-Done Steak.
Meal Ingredients and How to Get Them
Ration
Base ingredient for all Meal type that consumes Rations; stock can be obtained for free from the Ingredient Center in Windward Plains Base Camp. All ingredients give Health +50 Stamina +150 and a 20-minute effect duration.
| Ingredient | Effect |
|---|---|
| Meat | Attack +2 |
| Fish | Defense +4 |
| Vegetable | Defense +2, Elemental Resistance +3 |
Additional Ingredients
Using Additional Ingredients increases your Meal duration by 30 minutes. They are obtained from completing Side Missions or by trading with villagers. However, trade items are rotated daily in-game so they won’t always be available.
| Ingredient | Effect | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Kunafa Cheese | Defender Meal (Lo): Sometimes decrease damage taken / Divine Blessing effect | – Trade with Kilama in Kunafa Village, Plains (Fine Windward Aloe) – “Stalking Supper” Event Quest |
| Sharp Kunafa Cheese | Defender Meal (Hi): Often decrease damage taken / Divine Blessing effect | – Trade with Kilama in Kunafa Village, Plains (Great Windward Aloe) – “Stalking Supper” Event Quest |
| Droolshroom | Black Belt Meal (Lo): Reduces stamina depletion from evading / Marathon Runner effect | – Trade with Musharpeye in Wudwud Hidedout, Forest (Fine Scarlet Amber) |
| Delishroom | Black Belt Meal (Hi): Greatly reduces stamina depletion from evading / Marathon Runner effect | – Trade with Musharpeye in Wudwud Hidedout, Forest (Eternal Scarlet Amber) |
| Mud Shrimp | Tumbler Meal (Lo): Extends the invulnerability period when evading / Evade Window effect | – Trade with Dogard in Azuz, Basin (Antimite) – Trade with Dogard in Azuz, Basin (Fine Antimite) |
| Turbid Shrimp | Tumbler Meal (Hi): Slightly extends the invulnerability period when evading / Evade Window effect | – Trade with Aida in Azuz, Basin (Royal Seapot) – Trade with Dogard in Azuz, Basin (Antimite Mass) – Trade with Yabran in Azuz, Basin (Auric Oil) |
| Fluffy Egg | Caprice Meal (Lo): Randomly activates temporary attack boosts at random interval | – Trade with Sekka in Suja (Large Goldenscale Vase) |
| Airy Egg | Caprice Meal (Hi): Randomly activates a large temporary attack boosts at random interval | – Trade with Sekka in Suja (Wyvernscale Vase) |
| Sild Garlic | Moxie Meal (Lo): Prevents fainting one time when damage taken exceeds your health | – Trade with Ren in Sild, Wyveria (Mature Wyveria Lantern) |
| Specialty Sild Garlic | Moxie Meal (Hi): Prevents fainting one time and heals you when damage taken exceeds your health | – Trade with Ren in Sild, Wyveria (Genesis Opal) |
Finishing Touches
Adding Finishing Touches as garnish will increase your Elemental Resistances by +5 points. These ingredients can be found in the wild or through trading. Don’t forget that trade items are rotated daily in-game so they won’t always be available
| Ingredient | Effect | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Herb | Immunizer Meal: Lessens the effects of various ailments | – Obtained from gathering sparkling Herb-type materials – Trade with Gawdygog (Ancient Wyvern Coin) – “Stalking Supper” Event Quest – Barrel Bomb Bowling reward |
| Eastern Honey | Medic Meal: Increases the amount of health recovered when healing | – Obtained from gathering sparkling Honey – Trade with Ren (Fossilized Fire Opal) – Trade with Gawdygog in Wudwud Hidedout, Forest (Ancient Wyvern Coin) – Barrel Bomb Bowling reward |
| Monster Chilli | Sizzling Meal: Negates the effects of hot or cold climates and increases defense while in such areas | – Trade with Aida in Azuz, Basin (Royal Seapot) – Trade with Gawdygog (Ancient Wyvern Coin) – Barrel Bomb Bowling reward |
| Jeweled Mullet Roe | Swimmer Meal: Increases attack when wet | – Randomly obtained from catching fish – Trade with Musharpeye in Wudwud Hidedout, Forest (Queensbloom Pollen) – “Stalking Supper” Event Quest – Barrel Bomb Bowling reward |
| Wild Seed Oil | Specialist Meal: increases the potency of abnormal status attack | – Obtained from gathering sparkling Berry-type materials – Trade with Gawdygog in Wudwud Hidedout, Forest (Ancient Wyvern Coin) – Trade with Yabran in Azuz, Basin (Auric Oil) – “Stalking Supper” Event Quest – Barrel Bomb Bowling reward |
| Truffle du Conga | Gatherer Meal: Sometimes increases the number of resources gathered / Biologist and Geologist effects | – Rare drops from a knocked down Congalala – Trade with Rove in Suja (Chaliceweed) – Barrel Bomb Bowling reward |
Meal Invitation from Monster Hunter Wilds Villagers
Occasionally, you will also be invited by villagers for a Meal. Invitations are unlocked as you progress through the main story and help out each available village in the Forbidden Lands. These Meals last longer than self-cooked ones, at 60 minutes, and offer rare bonuses as well, such as:
- Insurance Meal: Prevent penalty when being carted once.
- Carver Meal (Hi): Increases the chances of getting more carves.
When an invitation is available, a notification will pop-up and you should see a meat icon in the World Map. Go over to the corresponding village and speak to the NPC to indulge yourself in the feast.
