How to cook and create healing items in New World

Let’s face it, in any video game where you see a health bar, you’re bound to ask how you can keep your character in tip-top shape. New World is no exception, as you’ll find out soon enough when the challenge ramps up, such as during your Faction Initiation quest in Merrill’s Place. Here’s our guide to help you cook and create healing items and rations in New World.

Now, the first time you’ll learn about the Cooking Trade Skill in New World is upon reaching the initial campsite. There’s a fairly short quest where you need to skin a wild boar. In turn, you’ll receive raw meat. While you can definitely eat raw meat, you’ll only restore a very small amount of HP. This isn’t sushi, folks.

Instead, you’ll need to learn how to cook it. At the start of New World, you’ll only have access to a few recipes from your Cooking Trade Skill:

• Light Ration – Recover 40 HP per second (HPS). Recovery stops if damage is taken. Afterward, recover 1% of your HP every 2.5 second for 20 minutes. Requires either a piece of raw meat, a nut, or poultry.
• Travel Ration – Travel Rations have slightly more potent effects, such as recovering 60 HPS. The difference is that raw meat is the only primary ingredient and you’ll also need secondary ingredients. These include nuts, poultry, pork, and potatoes.
• Energizing Light Ration – Increases your mana regeneration by 10% for 20 seconds. The ingredients for this one are similar to a Light Ration.

The more food items you make, the more your Cooking Trade Skill will increase. The food recipes you’ve unlocked can be accessed whenever you’re in a settlement that has a kitchen. Alternatively, you can camp in the wilderness to also get additional food. Remember to equip these rations in your inventory and action hotkey so you can stay alive.

Finally, there’s the Arcana Trade Skill which is closely related to magical items. This allows you to create healing and mana potions. The difference here is that basic recipes require water (gathered from rivers) and Sporebloom Fruits or Bumbleblossoms (acquired by leveling up your Harvesting trade skill).