Food is one of the great equalizers, and it's no different in Bethesda's Starfield, which has revealed to have a wide variety of meals and treats on offer for the Spacefarer. Like Skyrim and Fallout, food in Starfield gives temporary boosts to stats, improves health points, and has a range of other benefits and possible unlucky drawbacks to be discovered upon consumption. Unlike Skyrim and Fallout, Starfield also has a Gastronomy skill, implying the Spacefarer will be able to create their own dishes.
Bethesda hasn't revealed everything on the menu yet, but what's on offer in Starfield looks to be tasty video game food and space-worthy in equal parts. Most of the dishes appear to be normal dinner fare that anyone could find at the average roadside diner, though there are a few dishes with some exotic and possibly alien ingredients on offer, which aligns with some of the hub locations seen in Bethesda's showcase videos that feature diners, coffee shops, and upscale bars.
Starfield Promises Culinary Delights From Near and Far
​​​​​​Starfield's most controversial food item is probably the Orange Juice of Transcendence, which promises to be "the most refreshing orange juice in all the Settled Systems," and gives the effect of plus eight oxygen for five minutes, though at the cost of one health for one minute. On the weirder side of things is the Midnight Delight, a snack that's described as "made from a smattering of available ingredients." It doesn't have any negative effects on the package though, and restores 5 health.
Along with the more exotic dishes are the Alien Jerky and Trilo Bits, which are small alien insects, sauteed and served with whipped butter and restores 15 health points per serving, which probably tastes good when washed down with some Boom Pop! Cola. While synthetic meat isn't something that's affordable or accessible on Earth today, it appears to be a normal thing in the world of Starfield as it appears on the list of food that'll be served to the Spacefarer; one of the forms synthetic meat will appear in is Synthameat Steak, which sounds robust but only restores 3 health points.
Starfield's Food Promises Variety and Reward
As in Skyrim, the more robust food choices are the ones that are fully prepared meals, such as the Patty Melt and Ta'Ameya Pita, which both restore 15 health points. The Patty Melt is a hamburger patty with cheese and grilled on toast and served with "chipped potatoes", while the Ta'Ameya Pita is two flatbreads stuffed with falafel and drizzled with a yogurt sauce. These are the fancier meals that have been revealed, whereas others are far simpler such as the Sandwich and Toast, which restores just 3 health points.
With the Gastronomy Novice Social skill, players will be able to craft their own food and drinks, as well as research additional recipes. There will probably be an entire galaxy's worth of food to add to the list once players are free to start experimenting with ingredients and recipes, and possibly even with alien ingredients that have been scavenged while exploring. Any player interested in unlocking all the recipes as quickly as possible should invest in Starfield's Chef background, which gives the Spacefarer a head start in all things gastronomic.
Investing in the Gastronomy skill is also a must, and new recipes can be created at outposts. An additional bonus to creating these meals is the cash bonus; selling as few as 98 Sandwiches allegedly gets enough money to buy the Spacefarer's first spaceship. Investing in this skill is also great for roleplaying, but it's also good for practical reasons; if Starfield is anything like Skyrim, a few Sandwiches sometimes may be all that stands between life and death.
Starfield is in development.