When venturing through twisting tunnels and fighting magical monsters, there's one thing that can always help: food. In Core Keeper, food combinations are the best way to give yourself some potent buffs. From attack speed and mining power to health boosts and damage resistance from bosses, there's a meal for just about everything. Take a look below, and we'll show you how you can start cooking up your own Core Keeper recipes for success.

All Core Keeper Food Combinations and Buffs

Naturally, you'll want to make sure you have all of the necessary cooking supplies before you head to your kitchen. Specifically, you'll need a Cooking Pot crafted from two pieces of Wood and four Copper Bars. With that out of the way, you can start throwing together any two ingredients and seeing what happens. When you combine two ingredients in Core Keeper cooking, the effects of both will be reflected in the resulting dish. A Dark Lava Eater, for example, gives +7 life on melee hit for 10 minutes. Combine that with a Pewpaya, which gives +6.3 health every second for 20 seconds and +22.4% more physical range damage for 10 minutes, and the resulting dish will have all of these buffs. However, if you combine a Dark Lava Eater with another ingredient that gives life on melee hit, only the stronger of the two buffs will be present in the final dish. Additionally, some cooking talents can affect your cooking:

• Utilizing Every Nutrient
  • Tier 1 Cooking Talent
  • Increases the amount of food gained from Cooked Food by 5-25%
• Fast Food
  • Tier 3 Cooking Talent
  • +1-5% Melee Attack Speed when eating Cooked Food
• Long-Lasting Food
  • Tier 3 Cooking Talent
  • +6-30% longer Cooked Food buff durations
• Master Chef
  • Tier 4 Cooking Talent
  • +5-25% chance for additional food gained from cooking to be rare

Combining some of these Cooking Talents with the right Cooked Foods can greatly increase your chances of survivability when taking on lengthy cave crawls or boss brawls. Below, we've created two different lists for you to consult in your culinary quest. The first is a complete list of all the ingredients and where to find them. The second list details all of the different buffs you can get from foods and which specific foods give said buffs. However, there are some dishes we personally recommend as some of the best options:

• Shiny Meat Steak
  • Ingredients: Made from Marbled Meat & Shiny Larva Meat
  • This isn't the most powerful meal in Core Keeper, but its easy-to-find ingredients make it a reliable source of extra damage and crit chance.
• Rare Spicy Oat Meal
  • Ingredients: Golden Bloat Oat & Golden Bomb Pepper
  • This won't be an easy meal to make due to its rare ingredients, but it's enormously powerful in a pinch. It heals you by 17.4 health every second for 20 seconds. That all adds up to a whopping 348 health healed in a short amount of time. Add on the increase to movement speed and melee damage, and this meal can be a real ace in the hole during a tricky boss fight.
• White Fossil Suhi
  • Ingredients: White Coralotl & Terra Trilobite
  • No, it doesn't sound appetizing. However, this is a handy meal for anyone looking to get some serious mining done. It buffs your mining speed by a significant 14.6% and increases your mining damage for 10 minutes. On top of that, you'll also receive some nice health regeneration and max health boosts to keep you kicking in case of any danger.

All Food Buffs in Core Keeper & The Best Combinations

Offense

• Critical Hit Chance
  • Larva Meat (+6% for 10 minutes)
  • Shiny Larva Meat (+13% for 10 minutes)
  • Elder Dragonfish (+14% for 10 minutes)
  • Starlight Nautilus (+7% for 10 minutes)
• Critical Hit Damage
  • Silver Dart (+31% for 10 minutes)
  • Verdant Dragonfish (+41% for 10 minutes)
• Melee Damage
  • Golden Heart Berry (+17.1% for 10 minutes)
  • Pinegrapple (+22.4% for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Pinegrapple (+28.2% for 10 minutes)
  • Rock Jaw (+15.9% for 10 minutes)
  • Mold Shark (+38.6% for 10 minutes)
• Melee Attack Speed
  • Golden Bomb Pepper (+8.9% for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Pinegrapple (+8.4% for 10 minutes)
  • Pink Palace Fish (+9.2% for 10 minutes)
  • Grey Dune Tail (+13.9% for 10 minutes)
• Range Damage
  • Pewpaya (+22.4% for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Pewpaya (+28.2% for 10 minutes)
  • Devil Worm (+22.8% for 10 minutes)
• Range Attack Speed
  • Golden Pewpaya (+8.4% for 10 minutes)
  • Teal Palace Fish (+10.4% for 10 minutes)
  • Brown Dune Tail (+13.9% for 10 minutes)
• Melee & Range Attack Speed
  • Starlight Nautilus (+8.5% for 10 minutes)
  • Splendid Deepstalker (+11.3% for 10 minutes)
• Damage (all types)
  • Marbled Meat (+13.3% for 10 minutes)
  • Tornis Kingfish (+50.4% for 10 minutes)
• Damage to Bosses
  • Golden Puffungi (+14% for 1 minute)
• Damage Dealt by Pet
  • Cosmic Form (+30.9% for 10 minutes)
• Knockback Chance
  • Golden Carrock (+18% for 2 minutes)
  • Crown Squid (+19% for 10 minutes)

Defense

• More Healing from Health Over Time
  • Dodo Egg (+25% for 10 minutes)
  • Bright Lava Eater (+21% for 10 minutes)
• Life on Melee Hit
  • Dark Lava Eater (+7 for 10 minutes)
  • Vampire Eel (+3 for 10 minutes)
  • Shiny Larva Meat (+4 for 10 minutes)
• Temporary Max Health
  • Heart Berry (+25 for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Heart Berry (+50 for 10 minutes)
  • Giant Mushroom (+24 for 10 minutes)
  • Sandy Spikeback (+78 for 10 minutes)
  • Beryll Angle Fish (+136 for 10 minutes)
  • Jasper Angle Fish (+96 for 10 minutes)
  • Terra Trilobite (+103 for 10 minutes)
  • Amber Larva (+52 for 5 minutes)
• Armor
  • Carrock (+23 for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Carrock (+26 for 10 minutes)
  • Gem Crab (+14 for 10 minutes)
  • Black Steel Urchin (+22 for 10 minutes)
  • Solid Spikeback (+38 for 10 minutes)
  • Jasper Angle Fish (+45 for 10 minutes)
• Resist Damage from Bosses
  • Puffungi (+6% for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Puffungi (+9% for 10 minutes)
• Dodge Chance
  • Golden Dart (+11% for 10 minutes)
  • Glistening Deepstalker (+13% for 10 minutes)
  • Splendid Deepstalker (+10% for 10 minutes)
• Thorns Damage
  • Black Steel Urchin (+15 for 10 minutes)
  • Solid Spikeback (+50 for 10 minutes)

Magic

• Mana Per Second
  • Glow Tulip (+1.4 every second for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Glow Tulip (+2.3 every second for 10 minutes)
  • Bottom Tracer (+2.8 every second for 10 minutes)
• Max Mana
  • Golden Glow Tulip (+25 for 10 minutes)
  • Emerald Feather Fish (+29 for 10 minutes)
  • Pink Coralotl (+50 for 10 minutes)
  • Litho Trilobite (+69 for 10 minutes)
  • Riftian Lampfish (+58 for 10 minutes)
• Magic Damage
  • Sunrice (+30% for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Sunrice (+43.3% for 10 minutes)
  • Emerald Feather Fish (+21% for 10 minutes)
• Magic Barrier
  • Golden Sunrice (+49 for 10 minutes)
  • Blue Cave Guppy (+13 for 10 minutes)
  • Pink Coralotl (+36 for 10 minutes)
  • Litho Trilobite (+43 for 10 minutes)
• Minion Damage
  • Lunacorn (+30% for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Lunacorn (+39.5% for 10 minutes)
  • Dagger Fin (+23.3% for 10 minutes)
  • Pinkhorn Pico (+52.1% for 10 minutes)
• Minion Attack Speed
  • Greenhorn Pico (+36.8% for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Lunacorn (+55.2% for 10 minutes)
• Minion Crit Hit Chance
  • Greenhorn Pico (+12% for 10 minutes)

Utility

• Glow
  • Glow Tulip (+5 Blue Glow for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Glow Tulip (+6 Blue Glow for 10 minutes)
  • Sunrice (+4 Glow for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Sunrice (+4 Glow for 10 minutes)
  • Lunacorn (+4 Blue Glow for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Lunacorn (+4 Blue Glow for 10 minutes)
  • Riftian Lampfish (+5 Blue Glow for 10 minutes)
• Move Speed
  • Bomb Pepper (+21% for 1 minute)
  • Golden Bomb Pepper (+26.9% for 1 minute)
  • Glistening Deepstalker (+27.2 % for 1 minute)
  • Splendid Deepstalker (+21.2% for 1 minute)
  • Spirit Veil (+36.2% for 2 minutes)
• Less Food Drained When Running
  • Golden Bloat Oat (+10% for 10 minutes)
• Mining Damage
  • Grumpkin (+45 for 10 minutes)
  • Golden Grumpkin (+71 for 10 minutes)
  • Orange Cave Guppy (+8 for 10 minutes)
• Mining Speed
  • Golden Grumpkin (+7.2% for 10 minutes)
  • White Coralotl (+14.8% for 10 minutes)
• Fishing
  • Astral Jelly (+63 for 10 minutes)
• Immunity
  • Green Blister Head (Immune to Acid for 10 minutes)
  • Yellow Blister Head (Immune to Slowing from Slime for 10 minutes)
  • Rot Fish (Immune to Mold Infection for 10 minutes)
  • Elder Dragonfish (Immune to Burning for 10 minutes)
  • Verdant Dragonfish (Immune to Burning for 10 minutes)

All Food Items in Core Keeper and Where to Find Them

• Mushroom
  • Undergrounds
  • Clay Caves
  • Fungal Soil
• Giant Mushroom
  • Undergrounds
  • Clay Caves
  • Shrooman (enemy drop)
  • Shrooman Brute (enemy drop)
• Heart Berry
  • Undergrounds
  • Clay Caves
• Golden Heart Berry
  • Planting Heart Berry Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Glow Tulip
  • Undergrounds
  • Clay Caves
  • Azeos' Wilderness
• Golden Glow Tulip
  • Planting Glow Tulip Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Bomb Pepper
  • Undergrounds
  • Clay Caves
• Golden Bomb Pepper
  • Planting Bomb Pepper Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Carrock
  • Forgotten Ruins
• Golden Carrock
  • Planting Carrock Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Bloat Oat
  • Azeos' Wilderness
• Golden Bloat Oat
  • Planting Bloat Oat Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Puffungi
  • Mold Dungeon
• Golden Puffungi
  • Planting Puffungi Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Pewpaya
  • Sunken Sea
• Golden Pewpaya
  • Planting Pewpaya Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Pinegrapple
  • Sunken Sea
• Golden Pinegrapple
  • Planting Pinegrapple Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Sunrice
  • Shimmering Frontier
• Golden Sunrice
  • Planting Sunrice Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Lunacorn
  • Shimmering Frontier
• Golden Lunacorn
  • Planting Lunacorn Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Grumpkin
  • Using a Samhain Goodie Bag
• Golden Grumpkin
  • Planting Grumpkin Seeds with the Expert Gardener Talent
• Orange Cave Guppy
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Undergrounds
• Blue Cave Guppy
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Undergrounds
• Rock Jaw
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Undergrounds
• Gem Crab
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Undergrounds
• Green Blister Head
  • Fishing in Acid Water or Normal Water in the Undergrounds
• Yellow Blister Head
  • Fishing in Acid Water or Normal Water in the Undergrounds
• Devil Worm
  • Fishing in Acid Water or Normal Water in the Undergrounds
• Vampire Eel
  • Fishing in Acid Water or Normal Water in the Undergrounds
• Dagger Fin
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Forgotten Ruins
• Pink Palace Fish
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Forgotten Ruins
• Teal Palace Fish
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Forgotten Ruins
• Crown Squid
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Forgotten Ruins
• Azure Feather Fish
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Azeos' Wilderness
• Emerald Feather Fish
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Azeos' Wilderness
• Spirit Veil
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Azeos' Wilderness
• Astral Jelly
  • Fishing in Normal Water in the Azeos' Wilderness
• Mold Shark
  • Fishing in Mold Water
• Rot Fish
  • Fishing in Mold Water
• Black Steel Urchin
  • Fishing in Mold Water
• Bottom Tracer
  • Fishing in Sea Water or Normal Water in the Sunken Sea
• Silver Dart
  • Fishing in Sea Water or Normal Water in the Sunken Sea
• Golden Dart
  • Fishing in Sea Water or Normal Water in the Sunken Sea
• Pink Coralotl
  • Fishing in Sea Water or Normal Water in the Sunken Sea
• White Coralotl
  • Fishing in Sea Water or Normal Water in the Sunken Sea
• Solid Spikeback
  • Fishing Normal Water in the Desert of Beginnings
• Sandy Spikeback
  • Fishing Normal Water in the Desert of Beginnings
• Brown Dune Tail
  • Fishing Normal Water in the Desert of Beginnings
• Grey Dune Tail
  • Fishing Normal Water in the Desert of Beginnings
• Tornis Kingfish
  • Fishing Normal Water in the Desert of Beginnings
• Dark Lava Eater
  • Fishing in Lava
• Bright Lava Eater
  • Fishing in Lava
• Elder Dragonfish
  • Fishing in Lava
• Verdant Dragonfish
  • Fishing in Lava
• Starlight Nautilus
  • Fishing in Lava
• Beryll Angle Fish
  • Fishing in Shimmering Water
• Jasper Angle Fish
  • Fishing in Shimmering Water
• Cosmic Form
  • Fishing in Shimmering Water
• Glistening Deepstalker
  • Fishing in Shimmering Water
• Splendid Deepstalker
  • Fishing in Shimmering Water
• Terra Trilobite
  • Fishing in Grimy Water
• Litho Trilobite
  • Fishing in Grimy Water
• Pinkhorn Pico
  • Fishing in Grimy Water
• Greenhorn Pico
  • Fishing in Grimy Water
• Riftian Lampfish
  • Fishing in Grimy Water
• Larva Meat
  • Clay Pot
  • Caveling Skirmisher (enemy drop)
  • Caveling Spearman (enemy drop)
  • Larva (enemy drop)
  • Hive Larva (enemy drop)
  • Big Larva (enemy drop)
  • Big Hive Larva (enemy drop)
  • Acid Larva (enemy drop)
  • Ghorm the Devourer (enemy drop)
  • The Hive Mother (enemy drop)
• Shiny Larva Meat
  • Clay Pot
  • Big Larva (enemy drop)
  • Big Hive Larva (enemy drop)
  • Ghorm the Devourer (enemy drop)
  • Crystal Snail (enemy drop)
• Marbled Meat
  • Moolin
  • Bambuck
  • Strolly Polly
  • Dodo
  • Drohmble
• Amber Larva
  • Amber Boulder
  • Ghorm the Devourer (enemy drop)
• Dodo Egg
  • Dodo
• Atlantean Worm Heart
  • Atlantean Worm (enemy drop)