Summary
The Dessert Festival arrived with the 1.6 update ofStardew Valleyand is filled with a host of activities and shopping experiences. One of the things that you may, and should, do is visit The Chef. He’s hoping to follow in the footsteps of Frankenstein’s experiment, just with food. You know, instead of, well anyway.
The Chef gives you a list of ingredients for you to choose from and makes a dish using those. The reason you should take your culinary chances is that each dish gives you different buffs. This list will break down the best dishes you’re able to eat, and how to order them, like a video game secret menu.
Updated on June 13, 2025 by Marissa Fiore: Visiting The Chef is always a good idea before tackling the different activities there are at the Desert Festival. This list has been updated to include a few more options and how they can help you.
13Mountain Chili
Cave Loaf And Rich Marinara
One of the biggest challenges at the Desert Festival is to head into Skull Cavern and start knocking out objectives for Marlon. And this is one of the food items that can help you. Mountain Chili focuses on giving you plus three mining stat and plus one to defense. This will allow you to break rocks quicker and increase your survivability.
While you ideally don’t want to take any damage, let’s be so for real right now, the Serpents can already be sprinting you down before the screen fully fades back in. So adding some extra defense while you race to the bottom can make the difference between staying conscious or, well, not.
you’re able to only eat one of The Chef’s dishes a day. However, you can stack buffs with other meals and drinks in addition to what you order from them.
12Cave Kebab
Cave Loaf And Pungent Garlic
Another form of defense is a good offense. And that’s what the Cave Kebab is going to do for you in the Skull Cavern. Downing this stinky treat will give you plus three to your mining skill and plus one to your attack stat, allowing you to slay your enemies in fewer hits.
You can then use that withyour best weaponand take the Cavern by storm. If you pair thiswith some rings too, you could really give any of those monsters what for. Just keep your eye on your health while you do Leeroy.
No matter what dish you decide to eat, be sure to bring something with you to replenish your health. This can be food-based or you may bring a stack ofLife Elixirwith you, which, thankfully, can be found in Skull Cavern too.
11Hot Log
Cave Loaf And Uncomfortably Hot Sauce
Speed is one of the most important aspects of Stardew Valley. When you constantly find yourself racing the clock, especially in the Skull Cavern, having more speed can mean you that you squeeze in a few more floors. So yeah, the Hot Log gives you a plus one to your speed and a plus three bonus to your mining.
While you should ideally be bringing bombs with you into Skull Cavern, if you are relying on your pickaxe and a dream, eating this can help get you down floors quickly. Your biggest obstacle then is the monsters that call the Cavern home, so keep food on you and bringCoffee!
If you are planning on eating one of The Chef’s dishes that buffs your speed, it’s a good idea to stack that bonus with foods and drinks that also give you speed. These includeSpicy Eel, Coffee andTriple Shot Espresso.
10Shrimp Donut
Shrimp And Cherry Syrup
It might only sound appealing to the most die-hard seafood fans, but the Shrimp Donut is what you should eat before attempting any of Willy’s challenges. After consuming this questionable, uh, sweet treat, you will have aplus three bonus to fishingand a plus one toyour luck stat.
You can also take advantage of the festival by downing this donut and then fishing for the most challenging sea critter in the Desert, theScorpion Carp. The luck stat can also aid in finding treasure chests, so if you choose to eat the Shrimp Donut, make the most of your buffs and fish until they run out.
9Crystal Cake
Cave Loaf And Cherry Syrup
Now this sounds like a sweet treat, especially forthe Abigail loversin the audience. This blue cake gives a plus one luck bonus as well, but a plus three bonus to mining, so this will be very helpful inthe Skull Cavernchallenges that Marlon has set up.
Especially if you are using your pickaxe to do the majority of the work, the mining proficiency you get from the buff means it will take less energy to break through the stones. And, of course, luck will help with loot andStaircase, making it easier to walk away with some good stuff in your pockets by the end of the day.
8Spicy Tacos
Hearty Beans And Uncomfortably Hot Sauce
Okay, just about anyone could go for some Spicy Tacos, even in the sweltering heat of the Desert. But these tacos give you more than a tasty way to fill up, so if you eat these, you will gain a plus three bonus to your defense plus one to your speed.
Many players go nearly broke buying coffee to speed up their walking; after all, you rack up the steps in Stardew Valley. Speed is incredibly helpful in the Skull Cavern, allowing you to move from floor to floor and run from enemies quickly.
7Sweet Bean Cake
Hearty Beans And Cherry Syrup
Okay, syrup on beans? Maybe not the way to go in real life, but in Stardew Valley, it makes this delicious-looking cake that gives you buffs to both your defense and luck. The hearty beans give you the plus three for defense, while the cherry syrup gives you the plus one boost to luck.
Naturally, defense helps you withstand more strikes from enemies flying and walking around the Skull Cavern, while luck enables you to find some of the better chests on Treasure Room floors and staircases. It will take a lot to knock you out and stop you from progressing down those floors.
6Nachos Of The Desert
Extremely Sharp Cheddar And Uncomfortably Hot Sauce
Well, you may be able to guess at this point that the uncomfortably hot sauce is the source of your speed; meanwhile, the extremely sharp cheddar gives you a plus-three bonus to attack. What’s better than withstanding more enemy attacks? Killing them before they can touch you.
Thanks to the ability to stack food effects and buffs, you can look atsome of the other dishesthat give you even more powerful attacks. You could make yourself a few Roots Platters to give you a total of plus six to your attack, really giving all of the monsters and run for their loot.
5Elf Quesadilla
Extremely Sharp Cheddar And Cherry Syrup
There’s a theme here. Although all of the stat increases have their importance, luck is one of the best stats you’re able to boost as it can turn an unlucky day into a neutral one, all the way to making a very lucky one the luckiest days of your farmer’s life.
And, with plus one to luck and three to attack, you will be able to defeat monsters quickly and gather up the loot that they drop, which should see you walking away withBattery Pack, gems, andPrismatic Shardfor all the trouble.
4Superfood Cake
Rare Fruit And Mushroom Creme
Wait, where’s the cherry syrup for the luck boost? That’s the neat part, you won’t need it in this dish thanks to the rare fruit. This ingredient gives you a huge plus three to your luck stat, and there are only two dishes in the whole game that give you that much of a luck increase or higher,Lucky LunchandMagic Rock Candy.
Oh, yeah, and mushroom creme does something too, huh? That ingredient gives you a plus one to your mining ability. This will help slightly with energy as you break open rocks, but let’s be honest, you’re bringing bombs to the Skull Cavern, right? Right?!
