How to Unlock Cooking

  • Requirement: Reach D.G. Level 6
  • Location: Visit Massimo at the Restaurant (Town Center)
  • Tutorial: Complete Massimo's introductory cooking quest
  • Equipment: Use the cooking station inside the restaurant or craft your own

Cooking Basics

Cooking is one of Heartopia's core hobbies that lets you transform raw ingredients into valuable dishes. Cooked food sells for significantly more than raw ingredients, making cooking essential for earning gold.

Getting Started

  1. Talk to Massimo at the restaurant to unlock the cooking hobby
  2. Access a cooking station - use the public one at the restaurant or craft your own
  3. Select a recipe from your learned recipes list
  4. Add ingredients - each recipe requires specific items
  5. Cook the dish - wait for the timer or use cooking fuel to speed up
  6. Collect your food - sell it or use it for gifts!

Cooking Level Progression

Your cooking level determines which recipes you can make. Higher levels unlock more complex and profitable dishes.

Level XP Required Key Unlocks
1 0 Basic recipes (Bread, Fried Egg)
2 100 Salads, Simple soups
3 250 Grilled dishes, Pasta
4 500 Mushroom Pie, Sandwiches
5 850 Sushi, Rice dishes
6 1,300 Latte, Grape Jam (high profit)
7 1,900 Complex desserts
8 2,700 Tiramisu, Gourmet dishes
9 3,700 Advanced cuisine
10+ 5,000+ Master recipes, Collection certification

Fast Leveling Tips

  • Cook multiple dishes at once using all available cooking slots
  • Focus on quick recipes early (lower cook times = more XP/hour)
  • Complete cooking-related daily quests for bonus XP
  • Use cooking fuel to reduce wait times

Best Recipes for Profit

These recipes offer the best return on investment based on ingredient cost vs. sell price:

Grape Jam High Profit

Grapes x3, Sugar x1

Sells for: 320 Gold

Latte Quick & Easy

Coffee Beans x2, Milk x1

Sells for: 280 Gold

Mushroom Pie Early Game

Mushrooms x2, Flour x1, Egg x1

Sells for: 240 Gold

Tiramisu Premium

Coffee x1, Cream x2, Eggs x2

Sells for: 520 Gold

Top Profit Recipes Why It Works
Grape Jam High sell price with farmable ingredients
Latte Quick cook time, steady profit
Tiramisu Premium dessert with big margins
Mushroom Pie Early-game favorite for consistent income
Fruit Tart Uses seasonal fruit for high value
Seafood Hotpot Great for bulk cooking after fishing runs
Creamy Soup Easy ingredients, good XP per cook
Honey Toast Fast to cook, dependable profit
Roasted Veg Mix Uses surplus crops to convert to gold
Premium Bento High-tier recipe for late-game profit

Check our full Recipes Database for all 98+ recipes with ingredients and sell prices.

Ingredient Sources

Knowing where to find ingredients is key to efficient cooking:

🌾

Farming

Wheat, vegetables, fruits from your garden plots

🎣

Fishing

Fresh fish for seafood recipes

🛒

Blanc's Shop

Seeds, sugar, flour, basics

🌲

Foraging

Mushrooms, berries, wild herbs

🐄

Animal Products

Eggs, milk, cream

🏪

General Store

Salt, oil, specialty items

Collection Certification

As you cook more dishes, you progress toward "Master Chef" certification:

  • Beginner: Cook 10 unique recipes
  • Intermediate: Cook 30 unique recipes
  • Advanced: Cook 60 unique recipes
  • Expert: Cook 80 unique recipes
  • Master: Cook all 98 recipes

Each certification tier rewards you with exclusive items, titles, and bonus cooking slots!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the cooking station?

The public cooking station is inside Massimo's Restaurant in Town Center. You can also craft a personal cooking station for your home after reaching Cooking Level 5.

How do I unlock new recipes?

Recipes unlock automatically as your cooking level increases. Some special recipes come from completing quests, events, or reaching friendship milestones with NPCs.

What's the fastest way to level cooking?

Focus on quick-cook recipes that use cheap ingredients. Bread and simple soups are efficient early game. As you progress, dishes with shorter cook times per XP become optimal.

Should I sell cooked food or raw ingredients?

Almost always sell cooked food! The profit margin from cooking is substantial. A 50 gold fish becomes a 200+ gold dish after cooking.

Can I cook multiple dishes at once?

Yes! Cooking stations have multiple slots. Upgrade your station or use the restaurant's larger station to cook more dishes simultaneously.

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