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Cooking is fundamental to The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. Brought over from its 2017 predecessor, players can whip up various tasty dishes. These act as the primary method for healing in the latest open-world action adventure from developer Nintendo. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Depending on the cooking ingredients, different dishes can have various buffs.
These range from resisting extreme temperatures like cold and heat to increasing attack. So they can offer a significant advantage whether exploring or battling the game's many foes. Defense is also a key stat to remember, allowing protagonist Link to survive powerful hits from enemies. However, players may not have the time or resources to experiment with dishes.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.
Five great dishes that buff Defense in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
It should be noted that the more ingredients players use, the greater the effectiveness of the final dish will be. As such, players can use ingredients in different quantities for varying effects in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. A recipe that boosts Defense will also have the "tough" prefix. Players must also track down these ingredients that boost Defense, as most are found in nature.
1) Tough Steamed Mushrooms
Requires: Fortified Pumpkins + Ironshrooms.
This is one of the most straightforward recipes in the game, needing only two ingredients. Fortified Pumpkins are prominently found in Kakariko and Hateno Village. The strong Hinox enemies can also drop them.
Ironshrooms can be found in the East and West regions of the Necluda region, often growing near trees. Alternatively, they are purchasable from the Gerudo Town shop.
2) Tough Meat Stuffed Pumpkin
Requires: Fortified Pumpkins + Raw Meat.
The former should be found in the village mentioned above locations. However, the latter is an ingredient more easily found in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. Raw meat is obtained by defeating animals like deer or birds.
Certain animals, like wolves, drop Prime Meat. Players may use two of each to create Tough Meat Stuffed Pumpkin.
3) Tough Vegetable Curry
Requires: Fortified Pumpkins + Hylian Rice + Goron Spice.
It is one of the more advanced recipes in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. Consisting entirely of vegetarian ingredients, players may need to hunt down the latter two.
Hylian Rice can be found by cutting long grass around Hateno Village using a bladed weapon, like a sword. It is also purchasable from the same village's General Store. Goron Spice, however, is a rarity. As the name suggests, it is found in Goron City at Tanko's General Store
4) Tough Mushroom Risotto
Requires: Hylian Rice + Goat Butter + Rock Salt + Ironshrooms.
A straightforward take on the traditional risotto, use Ironshrooms to add the Defense buff. Goat Butter is purchasable from various shops like High Spirits Produce general store, The Slippery Falcon general store, or the East Wind general store.
Meanwhile, Rock Salt is found by breaking open Ore Deposits inside caves. There is no shortage of caves around Hyrule, so it should be easily obtainable.
5) Tough Elixir
Requires: Rugged Rhino Beetle + Monster Parts.
Unlike the other options on this list, Elixirs are not a food type. They are potions that grant a variety of effects. These are primarily created using insects and monster parts. The former determines the properties of the resulting Elixir, while the latter determines its buffs.
The Rugged Rhino Beetle can drop from the tree-like Evermean foes or be encountered in the East and West Necluda regions. Monster Parts are any parts dropped after defeating monsters. So they can range from Keese Eyeballs to Moblin Horns.
In case players wish to get experimental, here are more ingredients that help boost Defense in The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom:
- Armoranth
- Armored Porgy
- Ironshell Crab
- Armored Carp
Combine these with other Toughness-increasing ingredients to further boost Defense level and duration.
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom was released on May 12, 2023. It is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch console.
