In the vast and treacherous world of New World, players will quickly realize that survival isn’t just about combat and exploration—it’s also about managing your resources, crafting essential items, and sustaining yourself during your journey. One of the most important yet often overlooked professions in the game is Cooking. While it may not sound as thrilling as wielding a New World Gold coins sword or slaying mythical beasts, cooking can greatly enhance your survival and provide you with vital buffs that make challenging battles much easier.

This guide is designed to help beginners navigate the ins and outs of leveling Cooking in New World, unlocking its potential to improve your gameplay and efficiency.

Why Cooking is Important in New World
Cooking in New World is not just about making food for sustenance; it plays a crucial role in providing temporary buffs and restoring health, mana, and stamina. These buffs can be key in PvP, PvE, or even while gathering resources. You can craft various dishes that provide buffs for movement speed, attack damage, defense, or healing. In essence, cooking provides a wide range of consumables that can help you conquer difficult situations, whether you’re venturing into a dangerous dungeon, engaging in a war, or taking on elite world bosses.

Beyond its direct effects, cooking also offers opportunities to profit. The ability to craft high-quality food means that you can sell these items in the trading post to other players, who might be looking for that perfect stat-boosting dish before a tough battle.

The Basics of Cooking in New World
To begin cooking in New World, you’ll need to first craft a Cooking Station in any settlement. These stations are usually found in towns and cities, so as long as you’re near one, you can access a cooking station and start preparing food.

You will also need raw materials, which are mostly gathered by harvesting plants, hunting animals, or fishing. The most common ingredients are:

Vegetables: Gathered from plants like carrots, corn, and potatoes.

Meat: Obtained from animals such as boars, bears, and turkeys.

Fish: Caught from rivers and oceans.

Herbs: For seasoning and crafting special dishes with added buffs.

As you gather these ingredients, you'll also unlock new recipes that allow you to prepare more advanced dishes. The goal is to combine these materials in specific combinations to craft items with various buffs.

Step-by-Step Guide to Leveling Cooking for Beginners
1. Start with Basic Recipes
As with any crafting profession in New World, your cooking journey begins with basic recipes. These beginner dishes use low-level ingredients and are easy to craft. For example, starting with Cooked Salmon, Roasted Turkey, or Vegetable Stew will allow you to level up your cooking skill quickly.

In the early stages, you should focus on crafting these low-level dishes in bulk. Since the experience gained is tied to how much you cook, the more items you craft, the faster you will level up your Cooking skill.

Tip: Always keep an eye on your Azoth resource when crafting. It can be used to speed up gathering and crafting processes and can be quite helpful for faster progression.

2. Maximize Resource Gathering
In New World, your gathering skills are directly tied to your ability to craft food. To ensure you have a steady supply of materials, you’ll need to improve your Gathering skills as well. Hunting and fishing are particularly important for acquiring the high-quality meats and fish that are used in mid-tier cooking recipes.

The Cooking profession allows you to level up alongside Harvesting and Skinning, and the more proficient you become at gathering, the better materials you can use to craft high-quality dishes.

Tip: Consider investing in gathering gear that increases your efficiency in these areas, allowing you to gather more resources at a faster rate.

3. Experiment with Advanced Recipes
As you level up and unlock more advanced ingredients, you can start crafting dishes that offer greater benefits, such as healing potions, stamina regeneration, or temporary stat boosts. Some recipes require rare materials like Apples, Honey, or Spices.

Cooking these recipes takes more time and resources, but the rewards are worth it. The higher-tier dishes provide substantial buffs and often offer more experience points per dish crafted.

For example, once you have enough ingredients, you can start crafting Cooked Prime Meat or Seasoned Fish to unlock better bonuses and recipes.

Tip: Always check the Trading Post to see what high-demand foods other players are buying. This can give you a good idea of what dishes will make you a profit, especially if you’re looking to sell your crafted food.

4. Focus on Crafting Dishes with Buffs
One of the main reasons to level Cooking in New World is to craft dishes that give you significant buffs during your adventures. Buffs like increased damage output, faster movement, and enhanced healing are game-changers in many situations.

For example, Meat Pies provide healing over time, while Vegetable Stews increase your maximum stamina. Fish Oil can enhance your stamina regeneration, which is crucial in longer fights or resource-heavy activities.

You can experiment with the different recipes and find what works best for your playstyle. Some buffs are perfect for PvP, while others are essential for PvE or resource gathering.

5. Cook with an Eye on Special Ingredients
As you progress in your cooking journey, you’ll unlock more unique ingredients that can enhance the quality of your dishes. These rare items, often dropped by elite enemies or found in special regions of the world, allow you to craft high-end food that provides powerful buffs.

Some of these ingredients are difficult to gather, but they’re worth the effort when crafting foods that provide large buffs for combat or exploration. Recipes like Legendary Stews or Epic Roasts offer advantages such as increased experience gain or stat boosts that will serve you well in both combat and gathering.

Conclusion
Cooking in New World is more than just a side profession—it’s an essential part of your survival and success in Aeternum. By mastering the art of cooking, you can not only ensure your own survival but also gain a New World Gold for sale significant edge over other players in both PvP and PvE situations. Remember to gather resources, craft often, and experiment with new recipes to unlock powerful buffs and potential profits.

So, whether you're crafting meals for yourself, supplying your company, or selling your creations on the market, cooking will play an integral role in your journey through Aeternum. Happy cooking!