WoW Classic Cooking Guide 1 – 300

Cooking is a secondary profession within WoW Classic. As the name might suggest, you’ll use raw materials found from monsters and fishing to create food that can heal you and even give combat bonuses! Because cooking can create valuable consumables at max level, it becomes an important skill with high demand. Check out the rest of this guide to level your cooking from 1-300, regardless of your faction and whether or not you want to fish!

Because the cooking skill is a secondary profession, it won’t take up one of your two main profession slots, meaning any character, race, or class can learn cooking. To level your cooking skill, you’ll need raw meat that you can find on the corpses of specific beasts.

Cooking is an excellent skill for casual or serious players. Questing, especially alone, is often difficult and requires the frequent use of food to continue fighting. Unless you’re a mage, this means you’ll need to buy food from a vendor to keep yourself sustained.

With cooking, you can make yourself free food with meat you’ll pick up just by leveling. At max skill level, cooking is excellent for providing food with combat bonuses. These recipes require materials that are harder to obtain and the resulting foods are generally much more expensive.

When it comes to leveling methods, there are two traditional routes. You can level your cooking using the standard method, which entails collecting meat from beasts all across Azeroth. Alternatively, you can also choose the pescatarian route by taking the fishing route. We’ll cover both strategies in this guide, as well as noting key differences for Alliance and Horde players.

Trainer Locations

Training plays a huge role in leveling your cooking, as you’ll need new recipes learned from trainers and vendors both to reach even higher levels. For any specific recipes you’ll need to find, we’ll tell you where to find them in the section where you need them. For general cooking trainers that offer you level cap increases, you can find them at these locations:

• Apprentice (1-75) – Like most other professions, simply ask a guard in any major city where you can find the Cooking Trainer.
  • For Alliance, that means Stormwind, Ironforge, or Darnassus.
  • For the Horde, you can go to Orgrimmar, Thunder Bluff, or Undercity.
• Journeyman (75-150) – Return to the same city you originally learned Cooking in. This is the last time you’ll visit this trainer!
• Expert (150-225) – To learn Expert Cooking, you’ll actually need to learn it from a cookbook! How fitting.
  • For Alliance players, you can purchase Expert Cookbook from Shandrina in Mystral Lake, Ashenvale, or find it on the Auction House.
  • Horde players can purchase Expert Cookbook from Wulan in Shadowprey Village, Desolace or from the Auction House.
• Artisan (225-300) – Things take a different twist for Artisan Cooking, which you’ll need to complete a quest to unlock.
  • You can acquire the quest Clamlette Surprise from Dirge Quikcleave in Gadgetzan, Tanaris. This quest simply requires you to collect the following: 20 Alterac Swiss, 12 Giant Egg, 10 Zesty Clam Meat.

Important Notes

Before you start cooking, there are a few key things to keep in mind! Depending on what faction you play and how you want to tackle leveling, you’ll have a very different experience!

Faction

Although both Alliance and Horde players have fairly similar leveling routes to reach 300 cooking, there are several instances where a different recipe is used. The first and last 75 levels are identical for both factions, but the middle levels are where the route differs.

The exception to this is Night Elves who do not have wolves or boars in their starting zone. Instead they learn to craft Kaldorei Spider Kabob from a quest of the same name in their starting zone.

For those sections, each faction will have their own instructions.

Fishing

One of the easier ways of leveling Cooking is by simultaneously leveling your Fishing skill. You can entirely source your way to 225 Cooking from Fishing alone, but this will require several hours of fishing in order to reach a high enough level to catch the fish you’ll need to cook.

If you already plan on leveling your Fishing skill, this is a perfect opportunity for you to freely level your Cooking skill at the same time. It is important to note that there is also a fishing quest required to learn Artisan Fishing, which you’ll need to catch the fish required to cap your cooking.

Because fishing drastically changes the recipes you’ll use, there is an entirely separate section in this guide for if you want to fish rather than kill beasts.

Quests

Throughout the guide, you’ll notice there are a few quests that you’ll need to do. These quests are required to learn the recipe you’ll use, but fortunately most quests are as simple as collecting a set amount of ingredients and handing them in.

For anything more advanced, we’ll illustrate how to complete the quest. Additionally, we’ll mention when you need to purchase a specific recipe from a vendor!

Materials Needed

Depending upon your method and faction, your material needs will differ. Keep in mind totals will vary based upon your RNG, but these should serve as a good guideline of what to expect. Here are the totals for each leveling method:

Alliance Cooking Materials (Without Fishing)

• 40x Stringy Wolf Meat/Chunk of Boar Meat/Small Spider Leg
• 35x Bear Meat
• 10x Crawler Meat
• 15x Crawler Claw
• 60x Lean Wolf Flank
• 40x Raptor Egg
• 25x Turtle Meat
• 50x White Spider Meat
• 100x Giant Egg/Tender Wolf Meat
• 25x Sandworm Meat
• 30x Stormwind Seasoning Herbs
• 25x Mild Spices
• 50x Hot Spices
• 250x Soothing Spices

Horde Cooking Materials (Without Fishing)

• 40x Stringy Wolf Meat/Chunk of Boar Meat
• 20x Bear Meat
• 40x Dig Rat
• 40x Raptor Egg
• 25x Raptor Flesh
• 50x White Spider Meat
• 100x Giant Egg/Tender Wolf Meat
• 25x Sandworm Meat
• 80x Hot Spices
• 225x Soothing Spices

Cooking Materials from Fishing (Both Factions)

• 50x Raw Brilliant Smallfish
• 50x Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper
• 100x Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish
• 80x Raw Mithril Head Trout
• 30x Raw Spotted Yellowtail
• 30x Raw Sunscale Salmon
• 30x Large Raw Mightfish
• 30x Hot Spices
• 30x Soothing Spices

Leveling Cooking Without Fishing

1-75: Apprentice Cooking

Welcome to the wonderful world of cooking! Where flavor is king and quality is never an afterthought! Just kidding, you’ll use any old cut of meat you can find!

To get started, learn the Apprentice Cooking skill from any Cooking Trainer. While you’re there, train the first recipe below.

1-40: Charred Wolf Meat, Roasted Boar Meat, or Kaldorei Spider Kabob x 40

• Source: Trainer
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Stringy Wolf Meat/Chunk of Boar Meat/Small Spider Leg

For your first cooking recipe, make any combination of the above to reach 40 Cooking. You can kill boars and wolves found around Elwynn Forest, Dun Morogh, Durotar, or Mulgore for their meat. If you are playing as a Night Elf, wolves and boars are not an option, so hunt spiders all over Teldrassil to get the legs you need for a Kaldorei favorite!

40-75: Smoked Bear Meat x35

• Source: Recipe: Smoked Bear Meat
  • Sold by Drac Roughcut at Thelsamar in Loch Modan
  • Sold by Andrew Hilbert at The Sepulcher in Silverpine Forest
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Bear Meat

You’ll need to purchase the next recipe from a vendor. Then kill bears from the surrounding zones. Smoke enough bear meat to reach at least 75 Cooking. Then train and keep going to 90.

75-150: Journeyman Cooking

Head to any Cooking Trainer to learn Journeyman Cooking. For Alliance, pick up the next recipe while you’re there. The next few recipes will vary based on your faction.

75-85 ( Alliance): Crab Cake x10

• Source: Trainer
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Crawler Meat
  • 1x Mild Spices

Now things start to get a little different! Learn Journeyman Cooking while also picking up this nifty little recipe for some delectable crab cake. Make just 10 of them, but don’t eat them all at once! Don’t forget to buy the Mild Spices from a cooking vendor near your trainer. You can find some pinchy crawlers over in Westfall near the coast.

75-90 ( Horde): Smoked Bear Meat x20

• Source: Recipe: Smoked Bear Meat
  • Sold by Andrew Hilbert at The Sepulcher in Silverpine Forest
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Bear Meat

Continue killing and cooking bears until you’ve reached 90 in Cooking. You can still get the bear meat easily enough in Silverpine Forest and you’ll already be there so it is convenient.  If you are looking for a higher drop rate and are high enough level (at least 28), the Giant Ashenvale Bear drops meat at a 71% rate, which is the highest.

85-100 ( Alliance): Cooked Crab Claw x15

• Source: Recipe: Cooked Crab Claw
  • Sold by Kendor Kabonka in Stormwind City
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Crawler Claw
  • 1x Mild Spices

Crabfest continues, but now you’re cooking whole crab claws. Pick up this recipe in Stormwind. Cook crab claws until you reach triple digits for your Cooking level! These also drop from crawlers, so keep farming them in Westfall.

90-130 ( Horde): Dig Rat Stew x40

• Source: Recipe: Dig Rat Stew
  • Dig Rat Stew quest from Grub in The Barrens.
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Dig Rat

While the Alliance gets to make some tasty crab dishes, the Horde gets the pleasure of the delicacy that is dig rat stew. This requires you to complete a quest of the same name from Grub, who you’ll find in one of the towers that hug the mountain north of the road between Ratchet and The Crossroads. Once you have the quest, head south to the Bael’dun Excavation site in The Barrens and collect Dig Rats in Bael Modan to fulfill the quest requirements and reach 125 in Cooking.

100-130 ( Alliance): Seasoned Wolf Kabob x30

• Source: Recipe: Seasoned Wolf Kabob
  • Seasoned Wolf Kabobs quest from Chef Grual at Darkshire in Duskwood
• Ingredients:
  • 2x Lean Wolf Flank
  • 1x Stormwind Seasoning Herbs

Yes, wolf is actually quite a versatile meat. You’re going to turn it into a kabob now, which requires you to complete a quest in Duskwood to learn the recipe. You’ll need to collect 10 Lean Wolf Flanks from the wolves in the zone and then pick up the herbs from Felicia Gump in a flower shop in the Canal District of Stormwind City.

130-150: Curiously Tasty Omelet x20

• Source: Recipe: Curiously Tasty Omelet
  • Sold by Kendor Kabonka in Stormwind City
  • Sold by Nerrist at Grom’gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale
  • Sold by Keena at Hammerfall in Arathi Highlands
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raptor Egg
  • 1x Hot Spices

For this next part, you’ll actually need to head to a few spots. First you’ll need to purchase another recipe if you haven’t already. The easiest way for Horde players to get the recipe for this one is to take the zeppelin from Orgrimmar to Grom’gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale and purchase it from Nerrist. You can also get it from Keena at Hammerfall in Arathi Highlands and may want to, as hunting raptors for the eggs for this recipe can be done from the Arathi Highlands.

Alliance can pick up the recipe from Kendor Kabonka in Stormwind. To make these omelets, you’ll need (surprise!) eggs, but more specifically, raptor eggs! You can get them from raptors around Arathi Highlands, but might have more luck with the raptors in the Wetlands just north of Grim Batol. Don’t forget to buy Hot Spices from a cooking vendor!

150-225: Expert Cooking

Upon reaching 150 skill, you’ll need to purchase an Expert Cookbook to unlock Expert Cooking. Alliance can buy it at Mystral Lake in Ashenvale from a vendor named Shandrina (or on the Auction House). Horde can make their way to Shadowprey Village in Desolace to purchase an Expert Cookbook from Wulan (or buy it from the Auction House).

150-175: Curiously Tasty Omelet x20

• Source: Recipe: Curiously Tasty Omelet
  • Sold by Kendor Kabonka in Stormwind City
  • Sold by Nerrist at Grom’gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale
  • Sold by Keena at Hammerfall in Arathi Highlands
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raptor Egg
  • 1x Hot Spices

Nothing new here, you made 20 of these to get to 150. Continue farming raptor eggs from Arathi Highlands all the way to 175!

175-200 ( Alliance): Soothing Turtle Bisque x25

• Source: Recipe: Soothing Turtle Bisque
  • Soothing Turtle Bisque quest from Chef Jessen at Southshore in Hillsbrad Foothills
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Turtle Meat
  • 1x Soothing Spices

Once you reach 175 Cooking, you’ll encounter another recipe quest! This one requires collecting meat from turtles along the river in Hillsbrad Foothills.

175-200 ( Horde): Roast Raptor x25

• Source: Recipe: Roast Raptor
  • Sold by Nerrist at Grom’gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raptor Flesh
  • 1x Hot Spices

Have you ever thought about what a raptor would taste like? Now’s your chance to find out! Head to Grom’gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale to purchase this recipe if you haven’t already, and don’t forget some spices! Roast up some raptor from the surrounding jungle until you’ve reached 200 in Cooking.

200-225: Spider Sausage x25

• Source: Trainer
• Ingredients:
  • 2x White Spider Meat

Do spiders even have any meat to make a sausage? Don’t try to understand it, but make 25 of these. The spiders in Dustwallow Marsh are a great source for this.

225-300: Artisan Cooking

Upon reaching 225 skill, you’ll need to complete a quest to unlock Artisan Cooking.

Artisan Cooking Quest

If you’ve made it this far, great work! But you’ve also probably noticed there isn’t an obvious way of unlocking Artisan Cooking. This is because you need to complete a quest to do so! Both Alliance and Horde players will need to be at least level 35 and head to Gadgetzan, Tanaris and pick up Clamlette Surprise from Dirge Quikcleave. As a side note, don’t forget to purchase the recipe for Tender Wolf Steak from him as well.

The quest itself is simple, but requires you to acquire ingredients that may consume your time. You’ll need to collect 20 Alterac Swiss, 12 Giant Egg, and 10 Zesty Clam Meat.

• Giant Eggs can be found from owlbeasts in The Hinterlands
• Zesty Clam Meat can be found in clams looted off turtles in Tanaris
• Alterac Swiss can be purchased from Ben Trias in Stormwind or Innkeeper Pala in Thunder Bluff

Once you have all items, head back to Dirge to unlock Artisan Cooking! If you didn’t do so earlier, purchase the Tender Wolf Steak recipe as well. The rest of your Cooking leveling journey is fairly straightforward, although will take a lot of time for you to grind out the materials.

225-275: Monster Omelet or Tender Wolf Steak x100

• Source: Recipe: Monster Omelet or Recipe: Tender Wolf Steak
  • Recipe: Monster Omelet sold by:
    • Malygen at Talonbranch Glade in Felwood
    • Bale at Bloodvenom Post in Felwood
    • Himmik at Everlook in Winterspring
  • Recipe: Tender Wolf Steak sold by Dirge Quikcleave at Gadgetzan in Tanaris
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Giant Egg/Tender Wolf Meat
  • 2x Soothing Spices

While you do need only 50 skill points to reach 275 Cooking, you won’t get a skill up for every piece of food you cook. You’ll need to cook a combination of around 100 Monster Omelets or Tender Wolf Steaks. You can stop at 275 skill. Giant Eggs and Tender Wolf Meat can both be found in Felwood. Wolves drop the meat while owlbeasts drop the eggs.

275-300: Smoked Desert Dumplings x25

• Source: Quest chain starting with Desert Recipe
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Sandworm Meat
  • 1x Soothing Spices

You’ve finally made it to the last recipe! But if you thought it was that simple, think again! You’ll need to complete another quest, this time a short chain of three quests. Once you finish, simply cook around 25 Smoked Desert Dumplings, using the Dredge Worms around Silithus to reach max Cooking. Congratulations on your freshly maxed Cooking skill!

To complete Kitchen Assistance, first head to Cenarion Hold, Silithus to speak to Calandrath. Accept the first quest: Desert Recipe. To complete this quest, simply head west to the Twilight’s Hammer Camp.

Accept the second quest: Sharing the Knowledge. Head back to Calandrath in Cenarion Hold to hand in the Torn Recipe Page. Accept the third and final quest: Kitchen Assistance. For this one, you’ll need to collect 10 Sandworm Meat and turn it into Smoked Desert Dumplings to finish the quest!

Leveling Cooking With Fishing

1-75: Apprentice Cooking

To get started, learn the Cooking and Fishing skills from any Cooking Trainer and Fishing Trainer.

1-50: Brilliant Smallfish x50

• Source: Recipe: Brilliant Smallfish
  • Sold by Fishing Supplies vendors
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raw Brilliant Smallfish

This recipe is available from many Fishing Supplies vendors. You can buy Recipe: Longjaw Mud Snapper at the same time. Fish and cook these until 50 Cooking. The best spots to catch these are in Elwynn Forest for Alliance players and Mulgore for Horde players, close to the Fishing trainer in each zone.

50-75: Longjaw Mud Snapper x25

• Source: Recipe: Longjaw Mud Snapper
  • Sold by Fishing Supplies vendors
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper

Once you reach 50 in Cooking, you can start cooking those pesky mud snappers! You should have bought this recipe from the same spot you purchased Recipe: Brilliant Smallfish. Keep fishing in the same place to catch these.

75-150: Journeyman Cooking

Train Journeyman Fishing and Cooking before you continue on.

75-100: Longjaw Mud Snapper x25

• Source: Recipe: Longjaw Mud Snapper
  • Sold by Fishing Supplies vendors
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper

The mud snappers are back! They won’t go away until you’re at least 100 in Cooking, so keep catching and cooking until you get there! No need to switch up fishing spots unless you want a change of scenery.

100-150: Bristle Whisker Catfish x50

• Source: Recipe: Bristle Whisker Catfish
  • Alliance: Donald Rabonne at Southshore in Hillsbrad Foothills
  • Horde: Derak Nightfall at Tarren Mill in Hillsbrad Foothills
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish

Both factions will now converge in Hillsbrad Foothills and look to fish out of the river, picking up the next recipe from a vendor in their quest hub.

150-225: Expert Cooking

Once you reach 150, don’t forget to unlock Expert Cooking! For Alliance, purchase your cookbook from Shandrina at Mystral Lake in Ashenvale. Horde players can seek out Wulan at Shadowprey Village in Desolace. You can also buy your Expert Cookbook off the Auction House.

150-175: Bristle Whisker Catfish x50

• Source: Recipe: Bristle Whisker Catfish
  • Alliance: Donald Rabonne at Southshore in Hillsbrad Foothills
  • Horde: Derak Nightfall at Tarren Mill in Hillsbrad Foothills
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish

Continue fishing and cooking those catfish. Once you reach 175, you’re ready for the next recipe!

175-225: Mithril Head Trout x80

• Source: Recipe: Mithril Head Trout
  • Alliance: Donald Rabonne at Southshore in Hillsbrad Foothills
  • Horde: Wulan at Shadowprey Village in Desolace
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raw Mithril Head Trout

At this point, Alliance and Horde players will split once again.

• Alliance players can pick up the next recipe before leaving Hillsbrad Foothills, and head to Arathi Highlands to fish.
• Horde players need to pick up this recipe at Shadowprey Village in Desolace, which is also a great spot to fish.

This step will take a while, so don’t be surprised if it takes upwards of 100 fish. When you’re done, you’ll be ready for the home stretch!

225-300: Artisan Cooking

Upon reaching 225 skill, you’ll need to complete a quest to unlock Artisan Cooking.

Artisan Cooking Quest

If you’ve made it this far, great work! But you’ve also probably noticed there isn’t an obvious way of unlocking Artisan Cooking. This is because you need to complete a quest to do so! Both Alliance and Horde players will need to be at least level 35 and head to Gadgetzan, Tanaris and pick up Clamlette Surprise from Dirge Quikcleave. As a side note, don’t forget to purchase the recipe for Tender Wolf Steak from him as well.

The quest itself is simple, but requires you to acquire ingredients that may consume your time. You’ll need to collect 20 Alterac Swiss, 12 Giant Egg, and 10 Zesty Clam Meat.

• Giant Eggs can be found from owlbeasts in The Hinterlands
• Zesty Clam Meat can be found in clams looted off turtles in Tanaris
• Alterac Swiss can be purchased from Ben Trias in Stormwind or Innkeeper Pala in Thunder Bluff

Once you have all items, head back to Dirge to unlock Artisan Cooking! If you didn’t do so earlier, purchase the Tender Wolf Steak recipe as well. The rest of your Cooking leveling journey is fairly straightforward, although will take a lot of time for you to grind out the materials.

225-250: Spotted Yellowtail x30

• Source: Recipe: Spotted Yellowtail
  • Sold by Gikkix at Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raw Spotted Yellowtail

Both factions converge once again, this time in the sunny desert of Tanaris. Make your way to Steamwheedle Port, and purchase the recipe for Spotted Yellowtail and Poached Sunscale Salmon from Gikkix. You can easily catch Spotted Yellowtail right off the dock. Continue cooking them until you reach 250 in Cooking!

250-275: Poached Sunscale Salmon x30

• Source: Recipe: Poached Sunscale Salmon
  • Sold by Gikkix at Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Raw Sunscale Salmon

Alliance and Horde players will both now migrate to Bloodvenom Falls in Felwood. You should’ve already purchased the Poached Sunscale Salmon recipe from Gikkix in Steamwheedle Port. Cook up some salmon until you’ve reached at least 275 in Cooking! One recipe to go!

275-300: Mightfish Steak x30

• Source: Recipe: Mightfish Steak
  • Alliance: Viviana at Feathermoon Stronghold in Feralas
  • Horde: Sheendra Tallgrass at Camp Mojache in Feralas
• Ingredients:
  • 1x Large Raw Mightfish
  • 1x Hot Spices
  • 1x Soothing Spices

This last one is a bit of a doozy, but it is absolutely worth it. Alliance players will need to go to The Feathermoon Stronghold in Feralas to purchase the Mightfish Steak recipe from Vivianna. Horde players must head to Camp Mojache in Feralas to buy it from Sheendra Tallgrass. This is also a great time to stock up on Hot and Soothing Spices!

Once you’ve got the recipe, you can catch Mightfish in Scalebeard’s Cave, Azshara. Because Azshara requires a minimum of 250 fishing, lures might be a good idea for faster farming. Either way, after about 30 Mightfish, you should reach max Cooking. Congratulations!