It’s almost time for the Guild Wars 2 seventh anniversary celebration, so why not bring along a dish or two to share with your fellow players? Go big with ascended-quality feasts that’ll satisfy cravings for delicious food and combat efficacy. On August 27, you’ll be able to level up your cooking skill to 500!

When you reach cooking level 425, Sous-Chef Seimur Oxbone will contact you to check on your progress. Impress him with your skills and he’ll happily write you a letter of recommendation, sending you off on a journey to study with master chefs in every capital city.

While you’re leveling your cooking skill, you’ll also graduate to a better class of tools and raw ingredients. Each instructor will help you obtain what you need, from a cutting-edge oven to high-quality meat and garden-fresh herbs.

Refined and Adventurous Tastes

Ascended food provides a primary stat, a secondary stat, and a passive or triggered effect. But that’s not all—you’ll also gain bonuses to experience points, karma, magic find, gold find, and World vs. World experience points. The benefits last for an hour, and every ascended meal is a feast so all your friends can grab a helping!

Tyrian cultures have their own staple foods and cooking techniques, and the master chefs you’ll work with have developed innovative dishes and tools that play to their strengths. When you plan your picnic basket, make sure to include something for everyone:

• Charr—Pack at least one hearty, sophisticated meat dish, like a Plate of Peppercorn-Spiced Beef Carpaccio.
• Norn—Add some complexity with more protein and fresh vegetables. A Plate of Coq Au Vin with Salsa should be big enough to go around.
• Asura—Technology makes all the difference in preparation and preservation, and “different” is a great way to describe a Plate of Sesame Poultry Aspic.
• Sylvari—Need something light and refreshing to cleanse the palate? Serve up a Bowl of Fruit Salad with Orange-Clove Syrup.
• Human—If you didn’t leave room for dessert, say your prayers—there’s a Mint Strawberry Cheesecake just waiting to be devoured.

Snacking on Stream

Get a head start on your cooking journey with Rubi Bayer, Clayton Kisko, and Patrick Bayles this Friday, August 23 at noon Pacific Time (UTC-7)! They’ll roll up their sleeves and look at what it takes to make in-game treats on the official Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook channels.