Ingredient Combination Rules

Cooking during a Blood Moon (between 11:30 PM and 12:15 AM in-game) guarantees a critical cook, which adds bonus hearts, duration, or effect level to every meal. A regular Hearty Durian dish heals 4 hearts; a critical cook version heals 4 hearts plus bonus yellow hearts. Always cook your best ingredients during Blood Moons.

Adding more ingredients of the same effect type extends duration, not potency. One Mighty Banana gives Attack Up for 0:50. Five Mighty Bananas give Attack Up Level 3 for 4:10. To boost duration without changing the effect, add neutral filler ingredients like Hylian Rice or Tabantha Wheat — they add 30 seconds each.

Effect potency is determined by the total "points" of effect ingredients. Each ingredient contributes 1-3 points depending on rarity. You need 7+ points for Level 3 effects. For example, Mighty Thistle gives 1 point while Mighty Banana gives 2 points — use the higher-value ingredients to reach max level with fewer slots.

A single Hearty Durian or Hearty Radish cooked alone produces a meal that fully restores ALL hearts plus bonus yellow hearts. Cooking 5 together wastes 4 ingredients since the full-recovery effect triggers with just one. Always cook Hearty ingredients one at a time for maximum efficiency.