How Do I Learn a Recipe in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Learning a recipe in Animal Crossing: New Horizons can be a delightful experience, enhancing your gameplay with culinary creations. With the “Be a Chef! DIY Recipe+” upgrade and readily available ingredients, you’re well on your way to mastering the art of cooking in the game. At learns.edu.vn, we offer comprehensive guides and tips to make your Animal Crossing culinary journey even more rewarding, helping you discover new recipes and techniques. Dive into a world of gastronomic adventures, unlock delicious dishes, and share your culinary triumphs with friends!

1. Understanding the Basics of Cooking in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

To truly master cooking in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it’s essential to understand the core mechanics and requirements that underpin this delightful feature. By grasping these basics, you’ll be well-equipped to embark on a fulfilling culinary journey in the game.

1.1. Unlocking the Cooking Feature

Before diving into the culinary arts, you need to unlock the cooking feature. This requires a one-time purchase that opens the door to a world of gastronomic possibilities.

• Be a Chef! DIY Recipe+ Upgrade: Purchase this upgrade for 2,000 Nook Miles at the Nook Stop Terminal. This upgrade unlocks the Cooking feature in DIY Recipes+ on your NookPhone.
• New Food Categories: Once unlocked, you’ll find two new food categories on your NookPhone: Savory and Sweet.

1.2. Essential Ingredients and Tools

Having the right ingredients and tools is crucial for successful cooking. Knowing where to find these items will streamline your cooking process.

• Base Level Ingredients: Craft essential ingredients such as Flour (using Wheat) and Sugar (using Sugarcane).
• Kitchen Furniture: Cooking requires a working Kitchen furniture item. A Stonework Kitchen DIY Recipe is unlocked to get you started.
• Vegetables and Produce: Grow various vegetables and produce using seeds from Leif.

1.3. Navigating the Cookbook

The cookbook is your primary resource for finding and selecting recipes. Familiarizing yourself with its layout and features will enhance your cooking experience.

• DIY Recipes+ Cookbook: Access your cookbook on your NookPhone to browse available recipes.
• Recipe Selection: Choose the dish you want to cook, provided you have all the required materials.
• Fundamental Ingredients: Sometimes, you’ll need to make fundamental ingredients like Sugar or Flour before cooking a dish.

2. Step-by-Step Guide to Learning Your First Recipe

Embarking on your culinary adventure in Animal Crossing: New Horizons can be both exciting and rewarding. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of learning and cooking your first recipe, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience.

2.1. Purchasing the “Be a Chef! DIY Recipe+” Upgrade

The first step in your cooking journey is to unlock the cooking feature by purchasing the “Be a Chef! DIY Recipe+” upgrade. This upgrade is essential for accessing all the cooking functionalities in the game.

• Access the Nook Stop Terminal: Head to the Resident Services building and interact with the Nook Stop Terminal.
• Redeem Nook Miles: Select “Redeem Nook Miles” and find the “Be a Chef! DIY Recipe+” upgrade. It costs 2,000 Nook Miles.
• Confirm Purchase: Confirm your purchase to unlock the cooking feature on your NookPhone.

2.2. Gathering Initial Ingredients

Once you’ve unlocked the cooking feature, gathering the necessary ingredients is the next crucial step. Having the right ingredients on hand will allow you to start cooking right away.

• Wheat for Flour: Visit your island’s fields and harvest wheat. You will need 5 wheat to craft flour.
• Sugarcane for Sugar: If you don’t already have sugarcane, purchase sugarcane starts from Leif when he visits your island. Plant them and wait for them to grow. You will need 5 sugarcane to craft sugar.
• Fishing for Seafood: Head to the ocean or rivers to catch fish. Some early recipes require fish like Sea Bass.

2.3. Crafting Your First Dish: Grilled Sea Bass With Herbs

With the cooking feature unlocked and the ingredients gathered, it’s time to cook your first dish. The Grilled Sea Bass With Herbs is a simple yet satisfying recipe to start with.

• Find a Kitchen Item: Locate a kitchen furniture item in your home. Interact with it to open your cookbook.
• Select the Recipe: Browse through your DIY Recipes+ cookbook and select “Grilled Sea Bass With Herbs.”
• Gather Materials: Ensure you have 1 Sea Bass and 5 Clumps of Weeds in your inventory.
• Cook the Dish: Follow the on-screen prompts to combine the ingredients and cook the dish.

2.4. Enjoying Your Culinary Creation

After successfully cooking your first dish, take a moment to appreciate your accomplishment. You can use the dish for various purposes in the game.

• Eating the Dish: Consume the Grilled Sea Bass With Herbs to gain energy, allowing you to perform tasks like breaking rocks or digging up trees.
• Displaying the Dish: Place the dish in your home as a decorative item, showcasing your culinary skills.
• Gifting to Villagers: Give the dish to your villagers to increase your friendship level with them.

3. Where to Find Cooking Recipes in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Discovering new cooking recipes is a continuous and exciting part of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Here are the primary methods to expand your culinary repertoire:

3.1. Nook’s Cranny

Nook’s Cranny offers a variety of essential items, including recipe books that can significantly enhance your cooking skills.

• Basic Cooking Recipes Book: Purchase this book for 4,980 Bells to quickly improve your recipe selection with dishes like Carrot Cake, Organic Bread, and Seaweed Soup.
• Turkey Day Recipes Book: Available during the Turkey Day event, this book includes recipes like Clam Chowder, Gratin, Olive-Flounder Meunière, and Pumpkin Pie.

3.2. Fishing

Fishing is not only a relaxing activity but also a valuable way to unlock new cooking recipes. Catching certain fish can trigger the discovery of unique dishes.

• Red Snapper: Catching a Red Snapper unlocks the Pesce All’Acqua Pazza recipe, which requires 1 Red Snapper, 1 Tomato, and 1 Manila Clam.
• Barred Knifejaw: Catching a Barred Knifejaw unlocks the Barred-Knifejaw Carpaccio recipe, using just the fish itself.
• Salmon: Catching a Salmon unlocks recipes like Carpaccio Di Salmone and Salmon Sandwich.
• Horse Mackerel: Catching a Horse Mackerel unlocks the Aji Fry recipe, which needs 1 Horse Mackerel and 1 Flour.
• Anchovy: Catching an Anchovy unlocks the Anchoas Al Ajillo recipe, requiring 2 Anchovies.
• Blue Marlin: Catching a Blue Marlin unlocks the Carpaccio Di Marlin Blu recipe.
• Dab: Catching a Dab unlocks the Karei No Nitsuke recipe, which requires only 1 Dab.
• Olive Flounder: Catching an Olive Flounder unlocks the Sautéed Olive Flounder recipe, using 1 Olive Flounder and 1 Skinny Mushroom.
• Squid: Catching a Squid unlocks recipes like Squid-Ink Curry and Squid-Ink Spaghetti.

3.3. Villager Interactions

Interacting with your villagers is another excellent way to learn new cooking recipes.

• Visiting Villager Homes: Peek into your villager’s homes and catch them cooking. They will often share their recipes with you.
• Daily Interactions: Engage with your villagers daily to increase the chances of receiving new recipes.

3.4. Balloon Presents

Keep an eye on the sky for balloon presents, as they may contain cooking recipes.

• Shooting Down Balloons: Use a slingshot to shoot down balloon presents. These can sometimes contain rare or unique cooking recipes.
• Regularly Check Balloons: Check for balloons throughout the day to maximize your chances of finding new recipes.

3.5. Special Characters and Events

Special characters and events can also provide opportunities to obtain new cooking recipes.

• Daisy Mae: Purchase turnips from Daisy Mae to unlock recipes like Bamboo-Shoot Soup, Jarred Bamboo Shoots, Kabu Ankake, and Turnip Salad.
• Brewster: After purchasing coffee from Brewster at The Roost for five days, he will share the Roost Sablé Cookie recipe.
• Jack: During the month of October, Jack may give you the Spooky Cookies recipe.
• Happy Home Paradise: The Restaurant facility in Happy Home Paradise offers many unique cooking recipes.
• Turkey Day Event: Participating in the Turkey Day event can unlock several exclusive recipes.

4. Mastering Advanced Cooking Techniques

Once you’ve grasped the basics of cooking in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it’s time to explore advanced techniques that will elevate your culinary skills. These methods not only help you acquire more recipes but also enhance your overall gaming experience.

4.1. Optimizing Villager Interactions

Interacting with villagers is a fantastic way to expand your recipe collection. By optimizing these interactions, you can significantly increase your chances of learning new dishes.

• Daily Visits: Make it a habit to visit your villagers’ homes daily. Villagers often cook at different times, so multiple visits throughout the day can be beneficial.
• Gift Giving: Giving gifts to your villagers can improve your friendship level, making them more likely to share recipes with you. Consider gifting them ingredients they might need for cooking.
• Active Conversations: Engage in active conversations with your villagers. Sometimes, they will spontaneously offer you a recipe if they are in a cooking mood.
• Observing Cooking Activities: When you enter a villager’s home and find them cooking, they will usually share the recipe they are working on. This is a prime opportunity to learn new dishes.

4.2. Efficient Fishing Strategies

Fishing is not just a relaxing activity; it’s also a strategic way to unlock specific recipes. By employing efficient fishing strategies, you can target the fish needed for certain dishes.

• Target Specific Fish: Research which fish unlock specific recipes and focus your efforts on catching those fish. For example, catching a Red Snapper will unlock the Pesce All’Acqua Pazza recipe.
• Use Bait: Craft or purchase bait to attract fish to your location. This is particularly useful for catching rare or seasonal fish.
• Fish at Different Times: Different fish species are active at different times of the day. Check online resources to find out when the fish you need are most likely to appear.
• Seasonal Fishing: Pay attention to the seasons, as different fish are available at different times of the year. This can help you complete your recipe collection more efficiently.

4.3. Utilizing Special Events

Special events in Animal Crossing: New Horizons often provide unique opportunities to obtain exclusive recipes. Make sure to participate actively in these events.

• Turkey Day: During the Turkey Day event, you can purchase the “Turkey Day Recipes” book from Nook’s Cranny. This book includes recipes like Clam Chowder, Gratin, Olive-Flounder Meunière, and Pumpkin Pie.
• Halloween: During October, Jack may give you the Spooky Cookies recipe, adding a festive treat to your collection.
• Seasonal Events: Keep an eye out for other seasonal events that may offer limited-time cooking recipes. Participating in these events ensures you don’t miss out on rare dishes.

4.4. Exploring Happy Home Paradise

The Happy Home Paradise DLC offers additional avenues for discovering new recipes, particularly through the Restaurant facility.

• Restaurant Facility: Progress through the Happy Home Paradise storyline to unlock the Restaurant facility. Villagers here often cook and share recipes with you.
• Regular Visits: Visit the Restaurant regularly to interact with the villagers and learn new recipes. The more you visit, the higher your chances of expanding your culinary repertoire.

5. Complete List of Savory and Sweet Cooking DIY Recipes

To help you keep track of all the available recipes, here is a comprehensive list of both savory and sweet dishes you can cook in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

5.1. Savory Cooking DIY Recipes

There are 55 different savory cooking DIY recipes to discover and master in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

5.2. Sweet Cooking DIY Recipes

There are also 55 sweet cooking DIY recipes to create delightful desserts and treats in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.