Project Zomboid Cooking Guide: How to Cook, All Food Recipes, Skill Books, & more

Surviving the zombie apocalypse also means brushing up on your cooking skills. But how can you cook in Project Zomboid? Remember, this game highlights realistic components when doing certain actions, which include cooking. So, this post will tell you everything you need to prepare food to help keep your character alive.

 How to Cook in Project Zomboid

Introduced in Build 26, cooking brought a new layer of playing Project Zomboid. So, without further ado, here are the general requirements to cook in Project Zomboid:

• Food ingredients
• A container (e.g., bowl, cooking pot, frying pan, or griddle pan)

Remember, these items need to be in your inventory. Additionally, the amount used per ingredient depends on your character’s current cooking skill level. Plus, the higher your cooking skill, the more likely you can use rotten ingredients to make healthy meals. Note: You can safely use rotten ingredients to cook safe-to-eat food at cooking level 7.

Food Items in Project Zomboid

Project Zomboid has plenty of food items to cook and consume. Note that each dish requires specific ingredients and cooking containers. Farming is one way to ensure you won’t run out of ingredients quickly. So, here are the food options you can make with your cooking skill:

Soup

Start preparing this dish by right-clicking on a cooking pot with water. You can add up to 6 ingredients, excluding additional spices. Ingredient choices are as follows:

• Meats: Chicken, Fish Fillet, Fish Roe, Fried Fish, Fried Oysters, Frog Meat, Ham Slice, Lobster, Mutton Chop, Oysters, Pork Chop, Rabbit Meat, Salmon, Shrimp, Small Bird Meat, Squid, Calamari
• Fruits & Vegetables: Avocado, Bell Pepper, Black Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Corn, Daikon, Dandelions, Edamame, Eggplant, Fried Tofu, Grape Leaves, Leek, Mixed Vegetables, Mushroom, Onion Slices, Packaged Corn, Peas, Potato, Radish, Seaweed, Tofu, Tomato, Zucchini
• Canned Goods: Canned Beans, Canned Carrots, Canned Corn, Canned Mushroom Soup, Canned Peas, Canned Potato, Canned Tomato
• Miscellaneous: Acorn, Baguette, Beer, Biscuit, Boiled Egg, Bourbon, Bowl of Beans, Bread, Bread Slices, Cheese, Cooking Pot OR Saucepan with Rice, Cornbread, Crackers, Dried Black Beans, Dried Chick Peas, Dried Kidney Beans, Dried Lentils, Dried Split Peas, Dried White Beans, Dry Ramen Noodles, Hot Dog, Meat Dumpling, Milk, Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Red Wine, Shrimp Dumpling, White Wine
• Condiments & Spices: Basil, Bouillon Cube, Butter, Chives, Cilantro, Common Mallow, Ginger Pickled, Ginger Root, Habanero, Jalapeno, Lard, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Nettles, Olive Oil, Oregano, Parsley, Pepper, Rose Hips, Rosemary, Sage, Salt, Thyme, Tomato Paste, Vegetable Oil, Wasabi

Stew

The method for making stew in Project Zomboid is the same as when you’re preparing soup. The difference between the two cooking methods is the ingredients used.

• Meats: Chicken, Fish Fillet, Fish Roe, Fried Fish, Fried Oysters, Frog Meat, Ham Slice, Lobster, Mutton Chop, Oysters, Pork Chop, Rabbit Meat, Salmon, Shrimp, Small Bird Meat, Squid
• Fruits & Vegetables: Avocado, Bell Pepper, Black Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Corn, Daikon, Dandelions, Edamame, Eggplant, Fried Tofu, Grape Leaves, Leek, Mixed Vegetables, Mushroom, Onion Slices, Packaged Corn, Peas, Potato, Radish, Seaweed, Tofu, Tomato
• Canned Goods: Canned Beans, Canned Carrots, Canned Corn, Canned Mushroom Soup, Canned Peas, Canned Potato, Canned Tomato
• Miscellaneous: Acorn, Baguette, Beer, Biscuit, Boiled Egg, Bourbon, Bowl of Beans, Bread, Bread Slices, Cheese, Cooking Pot OR Saucepan with Rice, Cornbread, Crackers, Dried Black Beans, Dried Chick Peas, Dried Kidney Beans, Dried Lentils, Dried Split Peas, Dried White Beans, Dry Ramen Noodles, Hot Dog, Meat Dumpling, Milk, Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Red Wine, Shrimp Dumpling, White Wine
• Condiments & Spices: Basil, Bouillon Cube, Butter, Chives, Cilantro, Common Mallow, Ginger Pickled, Ginger Root, Habanero, Jalapeno, Lard, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Nettles, Olive Oil, Oregano, Parsley, Pepper, Rose Hips, Rosemary, Sage, Salt, Thyme, Tomato Paste, Vegetable Oil, Wasabi

Salad

Right-click on an empty bowl to start making a salad. This dish can accept up to 6 ingredients plus spices. Although salads are lightweight, it spoils faster than other recipes. Prepare this dish by combining sets of the following ingredients in a bowl:

• Meats (must have at least one in the recipe): Cooked Bacon Strips, Cooked Bacon Bits, Cooked Chicken, Cooked Fish Fillet, Fried Shrimp, Cooked Frog Meat, Cooked Lobster, Cooked Mutton Chop, Cooked Oysters, Cooked Pork Chop, Cooked Rabbit Meat, Cooked Salmon, Cooked Shrimp, Cooked Small Bird Meat, Cooked Squid, Cooked Squid Calamari, Cooked Steak
• Vegetables & Fruits: Apple, Avocado, Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Corn, Daikon, Dandelions, Edamame, Eggplant, Fried Onion Rings, Fried Tofu, Grape Leaves, Grapefruit, Grapes, Leek, Lettuce, Mushroom, Onion Slices, Orange, Packaged Corn, Peas, Pickles, Potato, Radish, Strawberries, Tofu, Tomato, Watermelon Chunks, Watermelon Slice, Zucchini
• Canned Goods: Canned Beans, Canned Carrots, Canned Corn, Canned Corned Beef,
• Miscellaneous: Baguette, Boiled Egg (must be in the recipe), Bowl of Beans, Bread, Bread Slices, Cheese, Recipe Ingredients, Peanuts, Poached Egg, Red Wine, Scrambled Eggs, Shrimp Dumpling, White Wine
• Condiments & Spices: Basil, Bouillon Cube, Butter, Chives, Cilantro, Common Mallow, Ginger Pickled, Ginger Root, Habanero, Jalapeno, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Nettles, Olive Oil, Oregano, Parsley, Pepper, Rice Vinegar, Rose Hips, Salt, Soy Sauce, Sunflower Seeds, Tomato Paste, Vegetable Oil, Violets, Wasabi

Stir Fry

Right-click on a frying, griddle, or roasting pan to start cooking a Stir Fry dish. Eating this food item will satisfy the character’s hunger to full. Choose up to six of the following ingredients (and spices) to create this dish:

• Meats: Bacon, Bacon Strips, Bacon Bits, Baloney Slices, Beef Jerky, Chicken, Fish Fillet, Fried Fish, Fried Oysters, Fried Shrimp, Frog Meat, Lobster, Mutton Chop, Oysters, Pepperoni, Pork Chop, Rabbit Meat, Salami Slices, Salmon, Sausage, Shrimp, Small Bird Meat, Squid, Squid Calamari, Steak
• Vegetables & Fruits: Avocado, Bell Pepper, Black Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Corn, Daikon, Edamame, Eggplant, Fried Tofu, Leek, Mixed Vegetables, Mushroom, Onion Slices, Packaged Corn, Peas, Potato, Radish, Tofu, Tomato, Zucchini Canned Goods: Canned Carrots, Canned Chili, Canned Corn, Canned Corned Beef, Canned Mushroom Soup, Canned Peas, Canned Potato, Canned Sardines, Canned Spaghetti Bolognese, Canned Tomato, Canned Tuna
• Miscellaneous: Dry Ramen Noodles, Egg, Hot Dog, Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Wild Eggs
• Condiments & Spices: Basil, Butter, Common Mallow, Ginger Pickled, Ginger Root, Habanero, Hot Sauce, Jalapeno, Lard, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Margarine, Olive Oil, Pepper, Rice Vinegar, Salt, Soy Sauce, Tomato Paste, Vegetable Oil, Wasabi

Tip: Add either Acorn, Chives, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Gravy, or Rosemary to make Roasted Vegetables instead of Salad.

Sandwich

To make a Sandwich in Project Zomboid, you must right-click on either the Baguette or Bread Slices item. Then, combine a maximum of four of the following ingredients (and spices) to prepare this dish:

• Meats: Cooked Bacon, Cooked Bacon Strips, Cooked Bacon Bits, Baloney Slices, Beef Jerky, Cooked Chicken, Chicken Nuggets, Cooked Fish Fillet, Fish Roe, Fried Chicken, Fried Fish, Fried Oysters, Fried Shrimp, Cooked Ground Beef, Ham Slice, Cooked Lobster, Cooked Mutton Chop, Cooked Oysters, Pepperoni, Cooked Pork Chop, Cooked Rabbit Meat, Salami Slices, Cooked Salmon, Cooked Shrimp, Cooked Small Bird Meat, Cooked Squid, Cooked Squid Calamari, and Cooked Steak
• Vegetables & Fruits: Avocado, Banana, Bell Pepper, Cabbage, Carrots, Dandelions, Eggplant, Fried Onion Rings, Grape Leaves, Lettuce, Mushroom, Onion Slices, Pickles, Tomato, and Zucchini
• Canned Goods: Canned Beans, Canned Carrots, Canned Chili, Canned Corned Beef, Canned Sardines, Canned Tomato, and Canned Tuna
• Miscellaneous: Boiled Egg, Bowl of Beans, Cheese, Fruit Jam, Hot Dog, Marmalade, Cooked Omelette, Recipe Ingredients, Peanut Butter, Poached Egg, Processed Cheese, Refried Beans, and Scrambled Eggs
• Condiments & Spices: Basil, Butter, Chives, Cilantro, Common Mallow, Ginger Pickled, Ginger Root, Gravy, Habanero, Honey, Hot Sauce, Jalapeno, Ketchup, Lard, Margarine, Marinara, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Olive Oil, Parsley, Pepper, Rice Vinegar, Rosemary, Sage, Salt, Soy Sauce, Thyme, Tomato Paste, Vegetable Oil, and Wasabi

Tip: Use cooked meat patty, cooked sausage, corn, fried tofu, radish, tofu, canned corn, canned mushroom soup, canned spaghetti Bolognese, and oregano with a Baguette or Bread Slices item as a base to make a Burger instead of a Sandwich.

Pie

The Pie in Project Zomboid has two variations: the Savory Pie and Sweet Pie. Both pie variants use the Pie Preparation item as a base, requiring 40 minutes to cook. The initial preparation requires the following requirements:

• The Chef occupation, Cook trait, or Cooking Level 1
• 2x Water
• 2x Corn Flour or Flour
• 2x Salt
• Butter, Lard, or Margarine
• Bowl
• Fork, Spatula, or Spoon

Fulfilling the above requirements will let players create a Pie Dough. Then, mix the Pie Dough with a Rolling Pin and Baking Pan to create the Pie Preparation item. Also, one pie can accept a maximum of four ingredients, excluding spices.

Savory Pie Ingredients

• Meats: Bacon, Bacon Strips, Bacon Bits, Beef Jerky, Chicken, Fish Fillet, Fried Fish, Fried Oysters, Ground Beef, Lobster, Meat Patty, Mutton Chop, Oysters, Pork Chop, Rabbit Meat, Salmon, Shrimp, Small Bird Meat, Squid, and Squid Calamari
• Vegetables & Fruits: Avocado, Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Carrots, Daikon, Eggplant, Grape Leaves, Leek, Mushroom, Onion Slices, Potato, Peas, Tomato, and Zucchini
• Canned Goods: Canned Carrots, Canned Potato, and Canned Tomato
• Condiments & Spices: Gravy, Pepper, Salt, Tomato Paste, and Wasabi

Sweet Pie Ingredients

• Pie Fillings: Apple, Banana, Berry, Cherry, Mango, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Pumpkin, and Strawberries
• Canned Goods: Canned Condensed Milk, Canned Fruit Cocktail, Canned Peaches, and Canned Pineapple
• Miscellaneous: Chocolate, Chocolate Chips, Icing, and Marshmallows
• Condiments & Spices: Honey, Lemon, Lime, and Rose Hips

Cake

Cake requires several ingredients to prepare, making it one of the most difficult dishes to prepare in Project Zomboid. First, it requires making Cake Batter, which needs the following requirements:

• The Chef occupation, Cook trait, or Cooking Level 1
• Bowl
• 1x Corn Flour or Flour
• 15x Butter
• 3x Brown Sugar, Sugar, or Sugar Packet
• 1x Egg or Wild Eggs
• Yeast
• Milk

Next, mix the Cake Batter in a Baking Pan to create the Cake Preparation item. Note that it can also accept up to four ingredients, excluding spices.

• Cake Fillings: Apple, Banana, Berry, Cherry, Grapes, Mango, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, and Strawberries
• Canned Goods: Canned Condensed Milk, Canned Fruit Cocktail, Canned Peaches, and Canned Pineapple
• Miscellaneous: Candied Fruit Slices, Chocolate, Chocolate Chips, Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans, Fruit Jam, Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms, Hard Candies, Icing, Jellybeans, Jujubes, Marmalade, Marshmallows, and Rock Candy
• Condiments & Spices: Honey, Lemon, and Lime

Rice & Pasta

Right-click on A Pot of Water or A Saucepan of Water to start preparing rice or pasta. The main ingredient that defines the result will be Rice or Pasta. As for the ingredients, these dishes can accept up to a maximum of four items, as well as spices.

• Meats: Bacon, Bacon Strips, Bacon Bits, Baloney Slices, Beef Jerky, Chicken, Fish Fillet, Fried Fish, Fried Oysters, Fried Shrimp, Ham Slice, Lobster, Mutton Chop, Oysters, Pepperoni, Pork Chop, Rabbit Meat, Salami Slices, Salmon, Sausage, Shrimp, Small Bird Meat, Squid, Squid Calamari, and Steak
• Vegetables & Fruits: Avocado, Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Carrots, Corn, Daikon, Eggplant, Fried Tofu, Leek, Mushroom, Onion Slices, Pickles, Tofu, Tomato, and Zucchini
• Canned Goods: Canned Carrots, Canned Corn, Canned Corned Beef, Canned Mushroom Soup, Canned Spaghetti Bolognese, and Canned Tomato
• Miscellaneous: Cheese, Dried Black Beans, Dried Chick Peas, Dried Kidney Beans, Dried Lentils, Dried Split Peas, Dried White Beans, Egg, Processed Cheese, Red Wine, White Wine, and Wild Eggs
• Condiments & Spices: Basil, Butter, Chives, Habanero, Hot Sauce, Jalapeno, Ketchup, Lard, Margarine, Marinara, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Olive Oil, Oregano, Parsley, Pepper, Rice Vinegar, Rosemary, Sage, Salt, Soy Sauce, Thyme, Tomato Paste, Vegetable Oil, and Wasabi

Note: Pasta can use Butter and Cheese, but rice can’t use these ingredients. On the other hand, Rice can use Black Beans, Edamame, Peas, Tofu, Canned Chili, Canned Peas, Canned Sardines, Canned Tuna, Peanuts, and Hot Dog, but Pasta can’t use these ingredients.

Taco & Burrito

Start making a Taco by right-clicking on a Taco Shell. Otherwise, right-click on a Tortilla to start preparing a Burrito. Note that both dishes use the same ingredients and can use up to five of them (as well as spices).

• Meats: Cooked Bacon, Cooked Bacon Strips, Cooked Bacon Bits, Cooked Chicken, Chicken Nuggets, Cooked Fish Fillet, Fried Chicken, Fried Fish, Fried Shrimp, Cooked Ground Beef, Cooked Lobster, Cooked Meat Patty, Cooked Salmon, Cooked Sausage, Cooked Shrimp, Cooked Squid, Cooked Squid Calamari, and Cooked Steak
• Vegetables & Fruits: Avocado, Black Beans, Bell Pepper, Cabbage, Corn, Fried Tofu, Onion Slices, Tofu, and Tomato
• Canned Goods: Canned Chili, Canned Corn, and Canned Tuna
• Miscellaneous: Boiled Egg, Cheese, Hot Dog, Cooked Omelette, Recipe Ingredients, Pepperoni, Poached Egg, Refried Beans, and Scrambled Eggs
• Condiments & Spices: Butter, Cilantro, Habanero, Hot Sauce, Jalapeno, Ketchup, Lard, Lemon, Lime, Margarine, Mayonnaise, Olive Oil, Pepper, Rice Vinegar, Salt, and Vegetable Oil

Omelette

Players must prepare an Uncooked Omelette item before frying this dish. Craft that prerequisite item by mixing 2x Egg or 2x Wild Egg with a Fork, Spatula, or Spoon in a Frying Pan. Then, add one of the following ingredients to complete the Uncooked Omelette recipe.

• Meats: Bacon Strips, Bacon Bits, and Ham Slice
• Vegetables & Fruits: Avocado, Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Dandelions, Eggplant, Leek, Mixed Vegetables, Mushroom, Onion Slices, Packaged Corn, Peas, Potato, Tomato, and Zucchini
• Canned Goods: Canned Beans, Canned Carrots, Canned Chili, Canned Corn, Canned Corned Beef, Canned Mushroom Soup, Canned Peas, Canned Potato, Canned Sardines, Canned Spaghetti Bolognese, Canned Tomato, and Canned Tuna
• Miscellaneous: Bowl of Beans, Hot Dog, and Refried Beans
• Condiments & Spices: Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Habanero, Hot Sauce, Jalapeno, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, and Tomato Paste

Pizza

Players must either have the Cooking Trait, be at Cooking Level 2, or possess the Chef profession before creating Pizza. Also, it requires 10 ingredients, six of which are the following:

• 15x Tomato Paste
• Empty Bowl
• Rolling Pin
• 3x Water
• 2x Salt
• Yeast
• 15x Cheese
• Fork, Spatula, or Spoon
• 2x Corn Flour or Flour
• Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil

Then, mix those ingredients with the following items to make the dish:

• Meats: Bacon, Bacon Strips, Bacon Bits, Baloney Slices, Chicken, Fish Fillet, Fried Oysters, Ground Beef, Ham Slice, Lobster, Oysters, Pepperoni, Salami Slices, Salmon, Sausage, Shrimp, Squid, Squid Calamari, and Steak
• Vegetables & Fruits: Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Dandelions, Eggplant, Mushroom, Onion Slices, Pineapple, Tofu, Tomato, and Zucchini
• Canned Goods: Canned Corned Beef, Canned Pineapple, Canned Sardines, and Canned Tomato
• Miscellaneous: Cheese
• Condiments & Spices: Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Habanero, Hot Sauce, Jalapeno, Marinara, Olive Oil, Oregano, Parsley, Pepper, Salt, and Tomato Paste

Ice Cream

Players must combine 10x Ice Cream, 1x Cone, and 1x Spoon to make an Ice Cream Cone. Then, choose up to three of the following ingredients (as well as spices) to make the dish:

• Vegetables & Fruits: Banana, Berry, Cherry, Pickles, Pineapple, and Strawberries
• Canned Goods: Canned Fruit Cocktail and Canned Pineapple
• Miscellaneous: Black Licorice, Candied Fruit Slices, Candy Corn, Chocolate, Chocolate Chips, Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans, Cocoa Powder, Fruit Jam, Gummy Bears, Gummy Worms, Hard Candies, Icing, Jellybeans, Jujubes, Marmalade, Marshmallows, Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Red Licorice, and Rock Candy
• Condiments & Spices: Honey and Maple Syrup

Muffin

To prepare an Uncooked Muffin Baking Tray, players must combine the following ingredients:

• Muffin Tray
• Empty Bowl
• 2x Egg or Wild Eggs
• 1x Butter, Lard, Margarine, Olive Oil, or Vegetable Oil
• 1x Milk or Canned Condensed Milk
• 1x Brown Sugar, Sugar Packet, or Sugar
• 1x Corn Flour or 2x Flour
• Fork, Spatula, or Spoon

Upon completing the Uncooked Muffin Baking Tray, players can add one of the following extra ingredients:

• Vegetables & Fruits: Apple, Banana, Berry, Cherry, Grapefruit, Grapes, Lemon, Lime, Mango, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Watermelon Chunks, and Watermelon Slice
• Canned Goods: Canned Fruit Cocktail, Canned Peaches, and Canned Pineapple
• Miscellaneous: Chocolate Chips and Icing
• Condiments & Spices: Sunflower Seeds

Oatmeal

Making the Oatmeal in Project Zomboid requires mixing a Bowl, 10x Can of Oats, and 1x Hot Water. Then, mix the resulting Bowl of Oatmeal with up to three of the following ingredients, along with spices:

• Vegetables & Fruits: Apple, Banana, Berry, Cherry, Mango, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, and Strawberries
• Canned Goods: Canned Condensed Milk, Canned Fruit Cocktail, Canned Peaches, and Canned Pineapple
• Miscellaneous: Fruit Jam, Marmalade, Milk, and Yogurt
• Condiments & Spices: Brown Sugar, Butter, Honey, Maple Syrup, Margarine, Sugar, and Sugar Packet

Pancakes

Players can make Uncooked Pancakes by mixing 1x Pancake Mix, 2x Water, 1x Empty Bowl, and a Fork, Spatula, or Spoon. Then, heat the Uncooked Pancakes in a Heat Source for 10 minutes. This dish can also take up to three extra ingredients, as well as spices.

• Vegetables & Fruits: Apple, Banana, Berry, Cherry, Grapefruit, Grapes, Mango, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Strawberries, Watermelon Chunks, and Watermelon Slice
• Canned Goods: Canned Condensed Milk, Canned Fruit Cocktail, Canned Peaches, and Canned Pineapple
• Miscellaneous: Chocolate Chips, Cocoa Powder, Fruit Jam, Icing, Marmalade, and Marshmallows
• Condiments & Spices: Butter, Honey, Lemon, Lime, Maple Syrup, and Margarine

Waffles

Waffles can be eaten as is or mixed with up to three additional ingredients (as well as spices).

• Vegetables & Fruits: Apple, Banana, Berry, Cherry, Grapefruit, Grapes, Mango, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Strawberries, Watermelon Chunks, and Watermelon Slice
• Canned Goods: Canned Condensed Milk, Canned Fruit Cocktail, Canned Peaches, and Canned Pineapple
• Miscellaneous: Chocolate Chips, Cocoa Powder, Fruit Jam, Icing, Marmalade, and Marshmallows
• Condiments & Spices: Butter, Honey, Lemon, Lime, Maple Syrup, and Margarine

Note: Each food item spoils. However, the rate of spoiling is unique for each type of food. Consuming rotten or spoiled food increases the risk of making the player sick.

Mug

Right-click on a Mug of Water or an Empty Tumbler to prepare this beverage. Players can then mix it with up to three ingredients, excluding spices.

• Beverage Fillings: Bourbon, Cocoa Powder, Canned Condensed Milk, Coffee, Dandelions, Milk, Mushroom, Red Wine, Strawberries, and Tea Bag
• Condiments & Spices: Black Sage, Bouillon Cube, Brown Sugar, Common Mallow, Ginger Root, Ginseng, Honey, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Nettles, Rose Hips, Sugar, Sugar Packet, and Violets

Note: Using a tumbler limits the extra ingredients to two instead of three.

Beer

Right-click on a beer item and mix it with a Habanero, Jalapeno, Lemon, Lime, Pepper, Salt, or Hot Sauce to create the beverage. Otherwise, drink the beer item as is. Note: Each food item spoils. However, the rate of spoiling is unique for each type of food. Consuming rotten or spoiled food increases the risk of making the player sick.

Project Zomboid Cooking Skill Books

Aside from practicing your culinary skills, reading Cooking books can boost this skill’s level. As with other skill books, you can find volumes 1 to 5 of the cooking books in Project Zomboid. But you can only benefit from reading a volume depending on your current cooking skill level. For example, if your character currently has Cooking Level 1, you can only read volumes 1 and 2 of the cooking books. Also, reading each volume takes time to complete. High-tier volumes take a longer time for your character to finish reading than the low-tier variants. Having the Fast Reader Trait can help increase reading time, especially if you’re playing in an online multiplayer setting. Here’s a quick rundown of the cooking book volumes with their requirements and completion times:

Volume	Pages	Reading Time w/ Fast Reader Trait	Standard Reading Time	Reading Time w/ Slow Reader Trait
Volume 1	220	12 minutes and 50 seconds	18 minutes and 20 seconds	23 minutes and 50 seconds
Volume 2	260	15 minutes and 10 seconds	21 minutes and 40 seconds	28 minutes and 10 seconds
Volume 3	300	17 minutes and 30 seconds	25 minutes	32 minutes and 30 seconds
Volume 4	340	19 minutes and 50 seconds	28 minutes and 20 seconds	36 minutes and 50 seconds
Volume 5	380	22 minutes and 10 seconds	31 minutes and 20 seconds	41 minutes and 10 seconds

Tip: Speed up time in single-player mode to finish reading each volume faster.