Overview
Cooking is one of the core daily activities in inZOI. Zois prepare meals at home using a recipe-based system tied to the Cooking skill. Every recipe has a Meow cost, a skill level requirement, specific furniture needs, and sometimes particular ingredients. The system covers everything from quick snacks to multi-serving group dishes, with real consequences for neglecting food safety.
How to cook
Interact with a refrigerator or oven and select "Make Food" to open the recipe panel. Each recipe card shows the Meow cost, the required Cooking skill level, which kitchen furniture the recipe needs (countertops, ovens, induction cooktops, or BBQ grills), and any specific ingredients. Select a recipe and the Zoi walks to the appropriate appliance and starts cooking.
Most recipes produce a single serving. The Zoi eats it right away or places it on a nearby surface. If nobody eats it promptly, the food sits out and eventually spoils.
Ingredients
Some recipes only need the base Meow cost and no special ingredients. Others require specific items like tomatoes or fish fillets. There are three ways to get ingredients:
Gathering - harvest crops from Growable Plants placed via gardening. Lettuce, tomatoes, corn, eggplants, and other produce can go straight from the garden into a recipe.
Fishing - catch fish at designated spots in Dowon and Bliss Bay. Fish fillets are used in specific seafood recipes.
Pocket Market - buy ingredients through the Pocket Market app on the smartphone. Purchased items are delivered to the front door.
Harvested produce from gardening does not spoil while stored in inventory, so you can stock up without worrying about waste.
Recipes and skill requirements
At Cooking skill level 0, Zois can prepare basic single-serving meals using standard kitchen appliances. As the skill increases, more complex and group-sized recipes unlock:
Level 0 - basic single-serving recipes. Any Zoi can cook these from the start.
Level 3 - group dishes unlock, including pizza, cake, and birthday cake. These produce multiple servings that other household members can eat from.
Level 5 - fried chicken and steak (BBQ grill required). These are the highest-tier group meals currently available.
Group meals
Group dishes are placed on a table or counter and household members can grab servings on their own. One catch: Zois sometimes autonomously clean up a group meal after taking just one serving, throwing out food that other household members haven't eaten yet. If you notice this happening, keep an eye on the meal after it's served.
Quick food options
Not every meal needs to be cooked from scratch. Two faster options exist:
Quick bite - click the refrigerator and select the quick bite option. The Zoi grabs something small without going through the full cooking process. No skill required.
Food delivery - order meals through the Pocket Market app on the smartphone. Delivery arrives at the front door. Convenient when the Zoi is low on time or there's no kitchen equipment available.
Food spoilage and food poisoning
Food left out on surfaces spoils over time. The visual appearance changes as it goes bad. If a Zoi eats spoiled food, they risk food poisoning, which is one of the illness conditions in the game. Left untreated, food poisoning can lead to death. Keep an eye on any meals sitting out and either eat them promptly or dispose of them.
Kitchen fires
Cooking can start fires. Low-skill Zois and unattended stoves increase the risk. Fires spread to nearby objects and can cause serious damage to the property if not extinguished quickly. Make sure a fire alarm is installed in or near the kitchen so the household gets alerted.
Leveling the cooking skill
The Cooking skill levels from 1 to 10. Two main methods:
Cook meals - every completed recipe gives skill experience. More complex recipes give more.
Watch cooking shows - turn on the TV and select the cooking channel. The Zoi gains passive Cooking skill experience while watching. Slower than actually cooking, but useful when the kitchen is occupied or the Zoi's needs are too low to stand and cook.
Required furniture
Different recipes require different kitchen equipment. All of these are available in Build Mode:
Countertops - needed for food preparation in most recipes.
Ovens - standard kitchen ovens for baked goods and roasted dishes.
Induction cooktops - an alternative to ovens for stovetop recipes.
BBQ grill - outdoor grill required for BBQ recipes like steak and fried chicken at level 5.
Refrigerator - stores food and is the starting point for the "Make Food" interaction.
Planned features
The developers have discussed several cooking-related features planned for future updates:
Cooking Together - a group activity where multiple Zois collaborate on a meal.
Cooking careers - dedicated career paths related to food preparation.
Food preferences - Zois will have individual food likes and dislikes that affect mood when eating.
Expanded ingredient gardening - more crop types available through gardening to use in recipes.
Food effects - eating certain meals will trigger temporary status effects like food coma (reduced energy recovery after overeating).