Raw ingredients will keep you alive in Cairn, but they won’t keep you climbing. Cooking transforms basic foraged items into meals that restore more hunger, provide warmth, and grant stat buffs you can’t get any other way. After burning through my supplies on the first few climbs, I started paying attention to recipes. It changed everything.
This guide covers every cooking recipe in Cairn, what buffs they provide, and which combinations are worth prioritizing.
📋 In This Guide
How Cooking Works
You cook at Bivouacs using the hanging burner. Combine two or more compatible ingredients to create food or drinks. Recipes can be discovered through experimentation or by finding recipe scrolls scattered throughout the mountain, usually in the graffiti cabin, caves, or near fishing spots.
The basic pattern: most recipes start with Clear Water as a base, then add ingredients to determine the dish type and buffs. Some recipes chain together, meaning you cook a basic version first, then add more ingredients to upgrade it.
Understanding Stat Buffs
Cooked meals can grant five different stat buffs. Knowing what each does helps you prioritize recipes for specific situations.
- Grit: Reduces fall damage and stamina drain while fast walking. Good for traversal sections.
- Grip: Better holds and less stamina consumption on poor grips. Essential for technical climbs.
- Focus: Slower stamina drain overall. A solid all-around buff.
- Burst: Faster limb movement. Helps when you need to move quickly between holds.
- Stamina: Improved stamina regeneration. Pairs well with rest opportunities.
All Food Recipes
Food primarily restores hunger, with some recipes providing warmth and stat buffs. Listed from least to most satiating.
Basic Cooked Foods
| Food | Recipe | Buffs |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked Thistle | Thistle + Clear Water | None |
| Caramel | Clear Water + Honey Dipper | Burst |
| Cooked Dandelion | Dandelion + Clear Water | Grit |
| Cooked Noodles | Instant Noodles + Clear Water | None |
| Boiled Eggs | Eggs + Clear Water | None |
Enhanced Cooked Foods
| Food | Recipe | Buffs |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked Thistle (Extra Sweet) | Cooked Thistle + Yellow Yak | Burst |
| Cooked Dandelion (Extra Sweet) | Cooked Dandelion + Yellow Yak | Grit, Burst |
| Boiled Eggs (Herbal) | Boiled Eggs + Juniper Infusion | None |
| Boiled Eggs (Creamy) | Boiled Eggs + Yellow Yak | None |
All Drink Recipes
Drinks (infusions) restore thirst and often provide better buffs than food. One sip gives roughly five minutes of climbing time. A full large bottle holds about four sips, or 20 minutes of climbing.
Basic Infusions
| Drink | Recipe | Buffs |
|---|---|---|
| Strange Mixture | Yellow Yak + Juniper | None |
| Juniper Infusion | Clear Water + Juniper | Grit |
| Nettle Infusion | Clear Water + Nettle | Focus |
| Clear Water (Extra Sweet) | Clear Water + Honey Dipper | Burst |
| Raspberry Juice | Clear Water + Raspberries | None |
Chocolate Drinks
| Drink | Recipe | Buffs |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Drink | Clear Water + Chocolate | Focus |
| Chocolate Drink (Extra Sweet) | Chocolate Drink + Raspberries | Focus, Burst |
| Chocolate Drink (Intense) | Chocolate Drink + Chocolate | Focus |
Advanced Infusions
| Drink | Recipe | Buffs |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet Infusion | Juniper Infusion + Chocolate | Burst |
| Strong Infusion | Juniper Infusion + Juniper | Stamina, Grip |
| Ultimate Infusion | Strong Infusion + Juniper | Stamina, Focus, Grip, Grit |
| Yellow Yak (Extra Sweet) | Yellow Yak + Raspberries | Burst |
| Alpine Cola (Extra Sweet) | Alpine Cola + Raspberries | Stamina, Grit, Burst |
| Raspberry Juice (Extra Sweet) | Raspberry Juice + Raspberries | Burst |
Best Recipes to Prioritize
Ultimate Infusion (Best Overall)
Four buffs in one drink: Stamina, Focus, Grip, and Grit. The recipe chain is Juniper Infusion → Strong Infusion → Ultimate Infusion. Stock up on Juniper whenever you see it.
Strong Infusion (Best Early Game)
Stamina and Grip from just Juniper Infusion + Juniper. Easy to make once you have a decent Juniper supply. Great for technical sections.
Chocolate Drink (Extra Sweet)
Focus and Burst from Chocolate Drink + Raspberries. Raspberries are common, and chocolate appears regularly in supply caches.
Cooked Dandelion (Extra Sweet)
Grit and Burst for food. Dandelions grow everywhere, and Yellow Yak shows up in camps. Solid hunger option with useful buffs.
Cooking Tips
- Hoard Juniper: It’s the key ingredient for the best infusions. Pick it up every time you see it.
- Cook before tough climbs: Buffs make a real difference on technical sections. Don’t save your best meals for emergencies that never come.
- Experiment freely: Combining wrong ingredients just wastes them, it doesn’t hurt you. Try things.
- Check caves for recipes: Recipe scrolls often hide in caves and near fishing spots. They reveal combinations you might not discover otherwise.
- Prioritize drinks: Thirst kills faster than hunger, and infusions provide better buffs. Keep your bottles full of good stuff.
Summary
Cooking in Cairn isn’t optional if you want to reach the summit. The Ultimate Infusion should be your goal, but even basic recipes like Juniper Infusion and Cooked Dandelion make the climb noticeably easier. Forage constantly, experiment at Bivouacs, and don’t climb hungry.