The cooking mechanic in Breath of the Wild is a way for Link to regain health or stamina without having to collect recovery hearts or stamina fruit. Link can pretty much eat any ingredient he finds, but cooking them first will have better results. Some ingredients can be cooked alone to make a meal, while others only function as part of a recipe.
There are two types of grain in Breath of the Wild: Hylian Rice and Tabantha Wheat. Hylian Rice can be found just about anywhere, but Tabantha Wheat is not as common. Players that explore west of Hyrule may find Tabantha Wheat faster than those that head east.
How to Get Tabantha Wheat
Tabantha Wheat is gathered the same way as Hylian Rice: Find patches of tall grass and cut them down with a sword. It's recommended to use a single-handed weapon (such as the Master Sword) since it allows Link to perform a Spin Attack. Note the physical difference between the Tabantha Wheat and Hylian Rice. Tabantha Wheat is stocky and bundled together, whereas Hylian Rice appears to "fan out."
The thing about Tabantha Wheat is that it's only available in one area. In northwest Hyrule are the Tabantha and Hebra Provinces. Tabantha Wheat can be farmed from cutting down grass in the non-snowy/freezing areas of Tabantha and Hebra. Players can even farm some directly outside Rito Village.
Where to Buy Tabantha Wheat
The other way to get Tabantha Wheat is to buy it from the general store in Rito Village and the stall outside the cooking class in Gerudo Town. One piece of Tabantha Wheat is 12 rupees, and the merchants usually have a total of three in-stock. If players have 36 rupees, they can buy the entire set.
This is the more expensive but easier way to get Tabantha Wheat; however, it's generally recommended to cut grass instead. It's possible to get two sheaves of rice from one Spin Attack.
Where to Use Tabantha Wheat
There's no other use for Tabantha Wheat other than cooking or selling. Most of the game's dessert recipes and some stews require Tabantha Wheat. For example, the Clam Chowder Recipe calls for a Hearty Blueshell Snail, Goat Butter, Fresh Milk, and Tabantha Wheat.
Players will want to avoid cooking Tabantha Wheat by itself. This will result in Dubious Food, which only restores a quarter of a heart to Link's health. Since Tabantha Wheat is so rare, it's recommended to only use them with their respective recipes than to try and experiment.
Some more recipes that require Tabantha Wheat include:
- Pumpkin Stew
- Nut Cake
- Fruit Cake
- Salmon Meuniere
- Fish Pie
Though both are grains, Tabantha Wheat can't be used to cook Rice Balls, which require Hylian Rice instead.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available for Nintendo Switch.