Alright, fellow chef, pull up a stool and let's talk about the fine art of Cooking in Classic Azeroth! It's more than just slapping some meat on a fire; it's about turning humble ingredients into potent buffs, useful provisions, and even a bit of gold. This guide will walk you through the most efficient path from a novice cook to a Grand Master Chef, covering everything from your first charred wolf meat to the feasts that fuel raids. Sharpen your knives, and let's get cooking!
The Basics: Getting Started with Cooking
Cooking is a secondary profession, which means anyone can learn it without sacrificing one of their two primary profession slots. This makes it an incredibly accessible and useful skill for every adventurer. You can start your culinary journey as early as character level 5.
Why Bother with Cooking?
Beyond the satisfaction of a well-cooked meal, Cooking provides:
- Health and Mana Regeneration: Cooked food is often superior to vendor-bought food for restoring health and mana.
- Stat Buffs ("Well Fed"): Higher-level recipes grant "Well Fed" buffs, providing valuable temporary increases to stats like Stamina, Strength, Agility, Intellect, or Spirit. These are crucial for leveling, dungeons, PvP, and especially raiding.
- Gold Making: Certain cooked foods and rare recipes can be quite profitable on the Auction House.
- Utility: Some recipes have unique effects, like Thistle Tea for Rogues or Savory Deviate Delight for a bit of fun.
- Fishing Synergy: Cooking pairs exceptionally well with Fishing, as many recipes use fish you catch, allowing you to level both skills simultaneously and efficiently.
Finding Your First Cooking Trainer
Cooking trainers are found in all major cities and many starting zones. If you're having trouble locating one, simply ask a guard in any major city, and they'll mark the trainer on your map.
Here are some initial trainers to get you started:
| Faction | Trainer Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance | Tomas | Goldshire, Elwynn Forest (Inside the Lion's Pride Inn kitchen) |
| Zarrin | Dolanaar, Teldrassil | |
| Alegorn | Darnassus | |
| Cook Ghilm | Dun Morogh (Kharanos) | |
| Daryl Riknussun | Ironforge (The Great Forge) | |
| Stephen Ryback | Stormwind City (Old Town) | |
| Horde | Aska Mistrunner | Thunder Bluff (Lower Rise) |
| Eunice Burch | Undercity (Trade Quarter) | |
| Pyall Silentstride | Bloodhoof Village, Mulgore | |
| Zamja | Orgrimmar (Valley of Strength) | |
| Duhng | The Crossroads, The Barrens |
To cook most recipes, you'll need a heat source. This can be a permanent stove or brazier in a town, or you can create your own Basic Campfire. To make a campfire, you'll need to learn the skill (usually from the same trainer who teaches you Apprentice Cooking) and have 1x Simple Wood and 1x Flint and Tinder in your inventory. Simple Wood can be purchased from Trade Goods or General Goods vendors.
Recipe Colors and Skill-Ups
As you craft items, recipes in your cooking window will be color-coded based on your current skill level. This is crucial for efficient leveling:
- Orange: Guaranteed skill-up (unless you're at the skill cap for your current tier).
- Yellow: High chance of a skill-up.
- Green: Low chance of a skill-up.
- Grey: No skill-up.
Always try to craft Orange recipes if possible, then Yellow. Avoid Green unless absolutely necessary or if the materials are exceptionally cheap.
Apprentice Chef (Cooking 1-75)
Alright, apron on! These first steps are all about simple, readily available ingredients. Most of these recipes are learned directly from your trainer or basic supply vendors. You'll want to make roughly 55-60 of these combined to hit skill 50, then another 20-25 to reach 75.
1-50: The Basics
Focus on meats from early-level beasts or easily caught fish. Many trainers will teach you Charred Wolf Meat (1x Stringy Wolf Meat) and Roasted Boar Meat (1x Chunk of Boar Meat). Stringy Wolf Meat drops from wolves in starting zones like Elwynn Forest and Durotar, while Chunk of Boar Meat comes from boars in the same areas.
If you prefer fishing, or want to level it alongside cooking, look for these vendor-sold recipes:
These fish are caught in low-level waters like those around starting areas or major cities. The recipes are typically sold by Fishing Supply vendors near fishing trainers. For example, Tharynn Bouden in Goldshire (Alliance) or Harn Longcast in Bloodhoof Village (Horde) sell the Brilliant Smallfish recipe.
- Crispy Bat Wing (1x Meaty Bat Wing): Recipe from Abigail Shiel in Tirisfal Glades (Brill).
- Scorpid Surprise (1x Scorpid Stinger): Recipe from Grimtak in Durotar (near Orgrimmar entrance).
- Kaldorei Spider Kabob (1x Small Spider Leg): Recipe is a quest reward from "Kaldorei Spider Kabobs," given by Zarrin in Teldrassil (Dolanaar).
50-75: Moving Up to Journeyman
At skill 50 and character level 10, visit any major city Cooking Trainer to learn Journeyman Cooking.
Smoked Bear Meat (1x Bear Meat)
Ingredients: Bear Meat drops from bears in zones like Silverpine Forest, Loch Modan, Darkshore, and Hillsbrad Foothills.
Recipe Source: Sold by Andrew Hilbert (Alliance - Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains) or Drac Roughcut (Horde - Tarren Mill, Hillsbrad Foothills). This recipe is excellent and can often take you to 90 or even 100 skill points if Bear Meat is plentiful.
Other viable options include:
- Coyote Steak (1x Coyote Meat) - Coyote Meat from coyotes in Westfall (Alliance) or The Barrens (Horde). Recipe from trainer.
- Boiled Clams (1x Clam Meat, 1x Refreshing Spring Water) - Clam Meat is found by opening clams dropped by murlocs or naga along coastlines. Recipe from trainer.
Journeyman Chef (Cooking 75-150)
Now we're getting into some more substantial meals, chef! Keep an eye on those recipe colors to maximize skill gains.
75-125: Expanding Your Menu
Crab Cake (Skill 75-115, orange/yellow; make approx. 40)
- Ingredients: 1x Crawler Meat
- Recipe Source: Trainer
- Crawler Meat Farming: Crabs along coastlines like Westfall (Murloc camps), Darkshore (south of Auberdine), The Barrens (near Ratchet, Southsea pirates), and the shores of Hillsbrad Foothills are good spots.
Dry Pork Ribs (Skill 80-120, orange/yellow; make approx. 35-40)
- Ingredients: 1x Boar Ribs
- Recipe Source: Trainer
- Boar Ribs Farming: These drop from higher-level boars. Good zones include Redridge Mountains (around Lakeshire and north), Duskwood (especially the Rotting Orchard area), northern Stranglethorn Vale, and Thousand Needles (near the Great Lift or Freewind Post).
Bristle Whisker Catfish (Skill 100-140, can take you further into yellow/green)
Ingredients: 1x Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish
Recipe Source: This recipe is widely available from Fishing Supply vendors in major cities. Catherine Leland in Stormwind City (Alliance) or Naal Mistrunner in Thunder Bluff (Horde) are reliable sources.
Unlocking Expert Cooking (Skill 125, Character Level 20): The Expert Cookbook
Once you've honed your skills to 125 and your character has reached level 20, it's time to graduate to Expert Cook! This isn't learned from a trainer directly; you must seek out a special book.
You must purchase the Expert Cookbook for 1 Gold.
- Alliance: Sold by Shandrina at Mystral Lake in Ashenvale. She can be found near Astranaar, often wandering near the lake itself.
- Horde: Sold by Wulan in Shadowprey Village, Desolace. Wulan is typically found on the top floor of the easternmost building in the village.
Buy this book and right-click it in your inventory to learn Expert Cooking, which allows you to skill up to 225. Without this book, you'll be stuck at 125 skill!
125-150 (or up to 175): The Road to Expertise
This is a fantastic recipe that will serve you well, chef! It's efficient, and the main ingredient is relatively easy to get, especially for Alliance players.
Curiously Tasty Omelet (Skill 130-170 orange/yellow, 170-190 yellow/green; make approx. 50 to reach 175 if starting at 125/130)
- Ingredients: 1x Raptor Egg
- Recipe Source: Vendor.
- Alliance: Kendor Kabonka in Stormwind City (Old Town, he wanders around). A unique aspect of Kendor is that he sells both the recipe and the Raptor Eggs, making this path exceptionally convenient for Alliance chefs.
- Horde: Keena in Arathi Highlands (Hammerfall) sells this recipe.
- Raptor Egg Farming: Dropped by various raptors. Good farming spots include Arathi Highlands, the Wetlands (Raptor Ridge), Stranglethorn Vale, and some parts of The Barrens.
Expert Chef (Cooking 150-225)
You're an Expert Chef now! Time to whip up some truly satisfying meals that offer decent buffs.
175-225: Prime Cuts and Savory Soups
This is where your menu really starts to shine, with foods that offer decent buffs and are often sought after.
Roast Raptor (Skill 175-215 orange/yellow, 215-235 yellow/green; make approx. 50)
- Ingredients: 1x Raptor Flesh
- Recipe Source: This recipe is sold by vendors in Arathi Highlands.
- Alliance: Hammon Karwn at Refuge Pointe.
- Horde: Keena at Hammerfall.
- Raptor Flesh Farming: These drop from higher-level raptors in Stranglethorn Vale, Arathi Highlands, Feralas, and The Barrens.
Alternative: Soothing Turtle Bisque (Skill 175-215 orange/yellow, 215-235 yellow/green)
- Ingredients: 1x Turtle Meat
- Recipe Source: This recipe is a quest reward from "Soothing Turtle Bisque".
- Alliance: Pick up the quest from Chef Jessen in Southshore, Hillsbrad Foothills.
- Horde: Pick up the quest from Christoph Jeffcoat in Tarren Mill, Hillsbrad Foothills.
- Turtle Meat Farming: Turtles are commonly found along coastlines in Hillsbrad Foothills, Swamp of Sorrows, and The Hinterlands.
Artisan Chef (Cooking 225-300)
Congratulations, chef! You've reached 225 skill and (hopefully) character level 35. It's time to prove your mastery and unlock Artisan Cooking. This is done via a special quest – no simple trainer visit this time!
Unlocking Artisan Cooking: The "Clamlette Surprise" Quest!
- Alliance: Journey to Ironforge (The Great Forge) and speak with Daryl Riknussun. He will offer the quest "I Know A Guy...".
- Horde: Head to Orgrimmar (Valley of Strength) and find Zamja. She will give you the quest "To Gadgetzan You Go!".
| Material | Quantity | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|
| Giant Egg | 12 | Dropped by Rocs in Tanaris, Owlbeasts in The Hinterlands or Winterspring |
| Zesty Clam Meat | 10 | Dropped by Steeljaw Snappers along the coast of Tanaris |
| Ice Cold Milk | 20 | Sold by various Innkeepers (limited supply) |
Hand in these ingredients to Dirge Quikcleave, and he'll teach you Artisan Cooking, allowing you to skill up to the grandmaster level of 300! Tanaris, with Gadgetzan and Steamwheedle Port, effectively becomes the central hub for aspiring Artisan chefs.
225-275: Crafting High-End Delicacies
Now the real fun begins! You have access to some potent and profitable recipes. Aim to make around 65 of one of the following, or a mix, to reach 275.
Other excellent options include:
- Spotted Yellowtail - Sold by Gikkix at Steamwheedle Port
- Monster Omelet - Sold by Himmik in Everlook, Winterspring
- Tender Wolf Steak - Sold by Dirge Quikcleave in Gadgetzan
275-300: The Final Push to Grand Master Chef!
You're in the home stretch, chef! These last few points will make you a true culinary artisan. Focus on fish recipes, which are excellent for both skill-ups and raid consumables.
The day/night cycle affecting fish availability is a unique Classic WoW mechanic. Plan your fishing sessions according to server time! Sunscale Salmon are caught during daytime hours, while Nightfin Snappers are caught at night. Fish in high-level zones like Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands, Felwood, Winterspring, and Feralas.
The Well-Fed Raider: Essential End-Game Buff Foods
Welcome to the big leagues, Grand Master Chef! Now you can cook up the finest raid buffs in Azeroth. These are your money-makers and your ticket to being a raid group MVP. The demand for these consumables is high, especially during progression raiding.
| Food Name | Stat Buff | Key Ingredients | Recipe Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops | +25 Stamina (15 min) | 1x Chimaerok Tenderloin, 1x Goblin Rocket Fuel, 1x Deeprock Salt | Quest: "Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops" (AQ Scepter Questline) | Epic quality recipe; extremely rare. The ultimate tank food. |
| Smoked Desert Dumplings | +20 Strength (15 min) | 1x Sandworm Meat | Quest: "Sharing the Knowledge" (Silithus) | Excellent for melee DPS. Recipe requires Cooking 285. |
| Grilled Squid | +10 Agility (10 min) | 1x Winter Squid | Vendor: Gikkix (Steamwheedle Port, Tanaris) | Best Agility food; seasonal fish (Sept-March) |
| Runn Tum Tuber Surprise | +10 Intellect (10 min) | 1x Runn Tum Tuber | Drop: Pusillin (Dire Maul East) | Top choice for caster DPS. BoP recipe. |
| Nightfin Soup | +8 MP5 (10 min) | 1x Raw Nightfin Snapper, 1x Refreshing Spring Water | Vendor: Gikkix (Steamwheedle Port, Tanaris) | Standard healer/caster mana regen food. |
The Enterprising Chef: Making Gold with Cooking
Beyond just feeding yourself and your raid, Cooking can be a solid gold-maker in Classic WoW. The demand for buff foods, especially for raiding and PvP, is constant.
Identifying Profitable Recipes
Raid Consumables are King: Foods like Dirge's Kickin' Chimaerok Chops, Smoked Desert Dumplings, Grilled Squid, Runn Tum Tuber Surprise, and Nightfin Soup are always in high demand from raiders.
Niche Buffs: Don't overlook foods that cater to specific needs. Monster Omelet and Tender Wolf Steak (+12 Stamina/Spirit) are valuable for tanks and PvP players.
The Fun Factor: Savory Deviate Delight transforms players into pirates or ninjas. Both the recipe and cooked food can sell for a handsome profit!
Tips for Sourcing Materials Cheaply
- Farm Your Own: The most direct way to increase profit margins is to gather your own ingredients. If you have Fishing, you can source your own fish.
- Bulk Buying: Keep an eye on the Auction House for common ingredients when prices dip.
- Vendor Stockpiling: For items sold by vendors with limited supply, such as Ice Cold Milk, learn their respawn timers.
Auction House Strategies
- Sell on prime raid nights (Tuesday-Thursday evenings)
- List in common stack sizes (5, 10, 20)
- Use AH addons to track price trends
- Stock up on Winter Squid during season for off-season profits
- Oversaturating the market
- Ignoring seasonal fluctuations
- Selling during off-peak hours
- Not monitoring ingredient costs
Chef's Secrets: Pro Tips & Tricks
A few extra morsels of wisdom to help you on your culinary journey:
It's been mentioned before, but it bears repeating: leveling Fishing alongside Cooking is one of the smartest and most efficient approaches in Classic WoW. So many crucial and profitable recipes require fish as their primary ingredient. By catching your own fish, you save a significant amount of gold and avoid the tedious grind of farming specific meats.
Recipes to Skip for Pure Leveling Speed
Not every recipe is a winner when it comes to pure, efficient skill-ups. Generally, avoid recipes that rely on obscure mob drops if a trainer recipe or an easily farmable alternative exists.
For Alliance players, Kendor Kabonka in Stormwind is a unique vendor who sells several recipes that are normally quest rewards, allowing them to bypass those specific quests if desired. This is a small but notable faction-specific convenience.
Essential Vendor Supplies to Stockpile
Always keep a healthy supply of these common vendor items. Running out mid-cooking session is a chef's nightmare!
- Mild Spices, Hot Spices, Soothing Spices: The backbone of many dishes.
- Refreshing Spring Water: Used in several soups and other recipes.
- Ice Cold Milk: Key for Undermine Clam Chowder and other recipes.
- Simple Flour: For Spice Bread and other early recipes.
- Strider Meat: Specifically for the Horde recipe Strider Stew.
A Final Word from the Kitchen
And there you have it, chef – your comprehensive guide to conquering the culinary arts of Classic WoW! From humble beginnings charring wolf meat over a sputtering campfire to crafting epic feasts that turn the tide of battle, you're now equipped with the knowledge to feed yourself, your allies, and perhaps even line your pockets with a bit of extra gold.
Remember that cooking, like any good dish, takes a bit of patience and preparation. Don't be afraid to consult your fellow chefs, explore the far corners of Azeroth for rare ingredients and recipes, and most importantly, have fun with it! The journey from Apprentice to Artisan is filled with delicious discoveries.
May your fires always be lit, your spices perfectly balanced, and your feasts legendary. Happy cooking!
