Kitchen - Revision history

Ziusudra: /* Types of meals */ clarified that the meals only need different ingredient stacks, and they can all be the same ingredient type

2025-11-09T21:38:34Z

Types of meals: clarified that the meals only need different ingredient stacks, and they can all be the same ingredient type

GeloMor at 16:59, 1 October 2025

2025-10-01T16:59:04Z

Silverwing235: /* Trade */

2025-08-16T20:54:21Z

Trade

Magistrum: Changed the unrealistic expectations around prepared meal values after the quality nerf, added a mention of the eating good meal need. Removed the line saying cooking prevents rot, as prepared meals rot the same as any other food item and produce miasma. Removed the paragraph telling the reader to link only 1 booze stockpile to the kitchen to avoid trapping newbies, let them get to the bottom of the article and read the full explanation.

2025-08-01T02:58:03Z

Changed the unrealistic expectations around prepared meal values after the quality nerf, added a mention of the eating good meal need. Removed the line saying cooking prevents rot, as prepared meals rot the same as any other food item and produce miasma. Removed the paragraph telling the reader to link only 1 booze stockpile to the kitchen to avoid trapping newbies, let them get to the bottom of the article and read the full explanation.

47.215.132.164: removed circular link

2025-04-28T00:56:39Z

removed circular link

Silverwing235 at 10:16, 1 March 2025

2025-03-01T10:16:25Z

Silverwing235 at 09:53, 1 March 2025

2025-03-01T09:53:14Z

GeloMor at 03:36, 1 March 2025

2025-03-01T03:36:23Z

GeloMor: /* What to cook */

2025-03-01T03:35:56Z

What to cook

Ziusudra: /* Trade */ removed value specifics, added link to item value section, added offending elves

2025-02-28T06:31:02Z

Trade: removed value specifics, added link to item value section, added offending elves

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 ==Types of meals==
 Prepared meals can be ordered in one of three categories:
-* '''Easy meals''' require two ingredients and are named "{last ingredient} '''biscuit'''" ([[File:biscuit_sprite.png]]).
+* '''Easy meals''' require two ingredient stacks and are named "{last ingredient} '''biscuit'''" ([[File:biscuit_sprite.png]]).
-* '''Fine meals''' require three ingredients and are named "{last ingredient} '''stew'''" ([[File:stew_sprite.png]]).
+* '''Fine meals''' require three ingredient stacks and are named "{last ingredient} '''stew'''" ([[File:stew_sprite.png]]).
-* '''Lavish meals''' require four ingredients and are named "{last ingredient} '''roast'''" ([[File:roast_sprite.png]]).
+* '''Lavish meals''' require four ingredient stacks and are named "{last ingredient} '''roast'''" ([[File:roast_sprite.png]]).
-Lavish meals, with 4 ingredients, result in larger stacks of food, and require less final hauling for the same amount of prepared food. They take a bit longer to produce (because the cook has to do more initial [[hauling]], and because the workshop is more likely to become [[clutter]]ed), and result in less experience gained for your cook per ingredient used. With a greater variety of materials in the prepared meal, there is a higher probability a dwarf will eat something they [[Preferences|like]], giving the eater a happy [[thought]].
+Lavish meals, with 4 ingredient stacks, result in larger stacks of food, and require less final hauling for the same amount of prepared food. They take a bit longer to produce (because the cook has to do more initial [[hauling]], and because the workshop is more likely to become [[clutter]]ed), and result in less experience gained for your cook per ingredient used. With a greater variety of materials in the prepared meal, there is a higher probability a dwarf will eat something they [[Preferences|like]], giving the eater a happy [[thought]].
-Easy meals, with only 2 ingredients, will give more experience per ingredient and result in twice as much hauling ''after'' cooking, and fine meals, requiring 3 ingredients, fall between the two.
+Easy meals, with only 2 ingredient stacks, will give more experience per ingredient and result in twice as much hauling ''after'' cooking, and fine meals, requiring 3 ingredient stacks, fall between the two.
 ==Using liquid ingredients==

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 |name=Kitchen
 |icon=[[File:kitchen_icon.png]]
-|key=z
+|key1=f
 |construction_job=
 *[[Cooking]]

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 ==Trade==
-Prepared meals can be [[trade]]d since they are renewable/sustainable, easily transported, easily sub-divided, and stack quality modifiers. Even a novice cook has a chance of increasing the value of raw ingredients somewhat; see [[Item_value#Prepared_meal|Item value]] for more information.
+Prepared meals can be [[trade]]d since they are renewable/sustainable, easily transported, easily sub-divided, and stack quality modifiers. Even a novice cook has a chance of increasing the value of raw ingredients somewhat; see [[Item_value#Prepared_meal|item value]] for more information.
 However, elven traders will be [[Trading#Unacceptable_items|offended]] by meals that contain animal-derived ingredients.

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 A '''kitchen''' is operated by a dwarf with the [[Cook|cooking]] [[labor]] enabled. It is mainly used to cook prepared meals, but also to render fat from [[Butcher's shop|butchered]] animals into [[tallow]].
-Cooking meals applies a [[quality]] modifier to each ingredient, which drastically increases the [[food]]'s value (up to 100×). Cooked meals count as each of their ingredients for the purpose of satisfying your dwarves' [[preference]]s, increasing the likelihood of happy [[thought]]s while eating. Cooking spoilable foods such as [[meat]], [[fish]], and [[plants]] will deter [[rot]], but any [[seed]]s from cooked [[plant]]s are lost.*
+Cooking meals applies a [[quality]] modifier to each ingredient, which can modestly increase the [[food]]'s value (and a legendary cook can theoretically increase it by up to 34× in the case of cooking seeds). Cooked meals count as each of their ingredients for the purpose of satisfying your dwarves' [[preference]]s, increasing the likelihood of happy [[thought]]s and fulfilling the "eat a good meal" [[need]] when eating. Cooking [[plants]] will not preserve the [[seed]]s: To retain seeds from plants, either [[brew]] them, [[Thresher|process]] them, or simply encourage your dwarves to eat them raw.
 ==Types of meals==
@@ Line 44: / Line 42: @@
 * '''Lavish meals''' require four ingredients and are named "{last ingredient} '''roast'''" ([[File:roast_sprite.png]]).
-Lavish meals, with 4 ingredients, result in larger stacks of higher-value food, but require less final hauling for the same amount of prepared food. They take a bit longer to produce (because the cook has to do more initial [[hauling]], and because the workshop is more likely to become [[clutter]]ed), and result in less experience gained for your cook per ingredient used. With a greater variety of materials in the prepared meal, there is a higher probability a dwarf will eat something they [[Preferences|like]], giving the eater a happy [[thought]].
+Lavish meals, with 4 ingredients, result in larger stacks of food, and require less final hauling for the same amount of prepared food. They take a bit longer to produce (because the cook has to do more initial [[hauling]], and because the workshop is more likely to become [[clutter]]ed), and result in less experience gained for your cook per ingredient used. With a greater variety of materials in the prepared meal, there is a higher probability a dwarf will eat something they [[Preferences|like]], giving the eater a happy [[thought]].
 Easy meals, with only 2 ingredients, will give more experience per ingredient and result in twice as much hauling ''after'' cooking, and fine meals, requiring 3 ingredients, fall between the two.
@@ Line 55: / Line 53: @@
 Cooking with alcohol usually results in large stacks of prepared meals, because alcohol typically has large stack sizes. It is assumed that since all dwarves have a [[preference]] for at least one type of alcohol, cooking with alcohol improves the chance of happy [[thought]]s from eating. Of course, you then need to ensure that you have enough alcohol left for your dwarves to drink; cooked alcohol does not count as drink.
 Ideally, you want to combine four different ingredients in each meal to maximize the chance of a dwarf experiencing a happy [[thought]] due to a [[preference]]. Unfortunately, when left up to your cook, you'll likely end up with an endless string of [[tallow]] roasts. To enforce variety, you can create a series of single-tile, barrel-less "feeder" [[stockpile]]s, each of which allows a different type of (cookable) food, all set to "give" to your kitchen.
@@ Line 68: / Line 64: @@
 ==Trade==
-Prepared meals can be [[trade]]d since they are renewable/sustainable, easily transported, easily sub-divided, and stack quality modifiers. Even a novice cook will increase the value of raw ingredients; see [[Item_value#Prepared_meal|Item value]] for more information.
+Prepared meals can be [[trade]]d since they are renewable/sustainable, easily transported, easily sub-divided, and stack quality modifiers. Even a novice cook has a chance of increasing the value of raw ingredients somewhat; see [[Item_value#Prepared_meal|Item value]] for more information.
 However, elven traders will be [[Trading#Unacceptable_items|offended]] by meals that contain animal-derived ingredients.

@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 }}{{av}}
-A '''kitchen''' is operated by a dwarf with the [[Cook|cooking]] [[labor]] enabled. It is mainly used to cook [[prepared meal]]s, but also to render fat from [[Butcher's shop|butchered]] animals into [[tallow]].
+A '''kitchen''' is operated by a dwarf with the [[Cook|cooking]] [[labor]] enabled. It is mainly used to cook prepared meals, but also to render fat from [[Butcher's shop|butchered]] animals into [[tallow]].
 Cooking meals applies a [[quality]] modifier to each ingredient, which drastically increases the [[food]]'s value (up to 100×). Cooked meals count as each of their ingredients for the purpose of satisfying your dwarves' [[preference]]s, increasing the likelihood of happy [[thought]]s while eating. Cooking spoilable foods such as [[meat]], [[fish]], and [[plants]] will deter [[rot]], but any [[seed]]s from cooked [[plant]]s are lost.*

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 Cooking meals applies a [[quality]] modifier to each ingredient, which drastically increases the [[food]]'s value (up to 100×). Cooked meals count as each of their ingredients for the purpose of satisfying your dwarves' [[preference]]s, increasing the likelihood of happy [[thought]]s while eating. Cooking spoilable foods such as [[meat]], [[fish]], and [[plants]] will deter [[rot]], but any [[seed]]s from cooked [[plant]]s are lost.*
-: (* To retain seeds from plants, either [[brew]] the plants, [[Thresher|process]] the plants, or simply encourage your dwarves to eat them raw.)
+: (* To retain seeds from plants, either [[brew]] them, [[Thresher|process]] them, or simply encourage your dwarves to eat them raw.)
 ==Types of meals==
@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 Prepared meals can be [[trade]]d since they are renewable/sustainable, easily transported, easily sub-divided, and stack quality modifiers. Even a novice cook will increase the value of raw ingredients; see [[Item_value#Prepared_meal|Item value]] for more information.
-However, elven traders will be [[Trading#Unacceptable_items|offended]] by meals that contain animal derived ingredients.
+However, elven traders will be [[Trading#Unacceptable_items|offended]] by meals that contain animal-derived ingredients.
 == Bugs ==

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 One (relatively safe) method to include a limited amount of alcohol in your meals is to create a small (one-or-two tile) food [[stockpile]] next to your kitchen that only allows types of alcohol that your fortress has in large quantity, and set it to "take" from your larger drink stockpile and "give" to your kitchen(s). You can then use work orders to limit the number of prepared meals that will be created to ensure this stock is not itself rapidly drained by experienced cooks.
-Ideally, you want to combine four different ingredients in each meal to maximize the chance of a dwarf experiencing a happy [[thought]] due to a [[preference]]. Unfortunately, when left up to your cook, you'll likely end up with an endless string of [[tallow]] roasts. To enforce variety, you can create a series of single-tile, barrel-less "feeder" [[stockpile]]s, each of which allows a different type of (cookable) food, all set to "give" to your kitchen.{{verify|v50 doesn't seem to have any means to choose quantity of items from stack through trade interface.}}
+Ideally, you want to combine four different ingredients in each meal to maximize the chance of a dwarf experiencing a happy [[thought]] due to a [[preference]]. Unfortunately, when left up to your cook, you'll likely end up with an endless string of [[tallow]] roasts. To enforce variety, you can create a series of single-tile, barrel-less "feeder" [[stockpile]]s, each of which allows a different type of (cookable) food, all set to "give" to your kitchen.
 ==Storage==
 Individual types of prepared meals are not listed in the middle column or right column of the stockpile menu for the Food category. The switch for allowing or banning prepared meals in a [[stockpile]] is displayed underneath the right column and toggled by clicking on "Prepared meals" in the mentioned category.
-The size of a prepared food stack varies according to the sum of all ingredient stacks; with large input stacks your kitchen will create a stack of prepared meals that is too big to fit into a [[barrel]] or [[pot]] (capacity 60). If you want to designate a stockpile as the destination for your kitchen's output, be sure that the number of barrels allowed in the stockpile is lower than the number of squares in the stockpile. That way there will be a few non-barrel squares for your haulers to deposit overly large stacks of prepared meals. Given that food left in the open will attract [[Fly|flies]], causing unhappiness in dwarves who encounter them, it may be best to store prepared meals in an area of less traffic than the rest of a food stockpile. You can also "break" large stacks into smaller stacks (for a fee) by trading them to a [[caravan]] and then purchasing them back in smaller stacks.
+The size of a prepared food stack varies according to the sum of all ingredient stacks; with large input stacks your kitchen will create a stack of prepared meals that is too big to fit into a [[barrel]] or [[pot]] (capacity 60). If you want to designate a stockpile as the destination for your kitchen's output, be sure that the number of barrels allowed in the stockpile is lower than the number of squares in the stockpile. That way there will be a few non-barrel squares for your haulers to deposit overly large stacks of prepared meals. Given that food left in the open will attract [[Fly|flies]], causing unhappiness in dwarves who encounter them, it may be best to store prepared meals in an area of less traffic than the rest of a food stockpile. You can also "break" large stacks into smaller stacks (for a fee) by trading them to a [[caravan]] and then purchasing them back in smaller stacks.{{verify|v50 doesn't seem to have any means to choose quantity of items from stack through trade interface.}}
 Be aware that food that is not properly stored in a stockpile rots quite fast. Rotting is the worst possible fate for a masterfully prepared meal. The chef would have every right to be angry about it, since all of his effort spent preparing the meal literally went to waste. Prepared meals can also trigger masterwork destruction if they are eaten by vermin.

@@ Line 68: / Line 68: @@
 ==Trade==
-{{See talk}}
+Even a novice cook will increase the value of raw ingredients. See [[Item_value#Prepared_meal|Item value]] for more information.
-Prepared meals are excellent for [[trade]] since they are high-value, renewable/sustainable, easily transported, and easily sub-divided. A high-quality prepared meal stack can surpass all but [[artifact]], [[adamantine]], and heavily [[decoration|decorated]] items in total value.
+However, elven traders will be [[Trading#Unacceptable_items|offended]] by meals that contain animal derived ingredients.
 == Bugs ==