"Monster Hunter Wilds: Players' Top Forbidden Land Foods Revealed"

This week, Capcom unveiled a comprehensive data analysis titled The Forbidden Lands White Paper 1, offering an in-depth look at player behavior in Monster Hunter Wilds following the game’s April 4 update. Conducted in Japanese, the report sheds light on various aspects of player engagement, with a surprising highlight: the community's strong preferences when it comes to in-game cuisine.

The April 4 update didn’t just bring new quests and monsters—it also introduced the Grand Hub, a central social space where players can gather before heading into battle. A key feature of this hub is the canteen, where hunters can exchange Meal Vouchers for regional dishes from across The Forbidden Lands. Each meal provides unique buffs that enhance gameplay, making it a strategic stop before embarking on challenging quests. Instead of traveling to distant regions to eat region-specific food, players can now prepare efficiently in one place. Meal Vouchers are obtained through daily login rewards or as prizes from Arena quests, adding an extra layer of incentive to log in regularly.

According to data shared by Automaton Japan, The Forbidden Lands White Paper 1 breaks down the usage of the four regional Meal Vouchers. Spring Kunafa Cuisine emerged as the overwhelming favorite, accounting for 87.8% of all redemptions. It was followed distantly by Fresh Sild Cuisine (8.2%), Colorful Suja Cuisine (3.5%), and Hot Azuz Cuisine (0.5%).

The dominance of Spring Kunafa Cuisine can largely be attributed to distribution. Players received five free Spring Kunafa Meal Vouchers upon the April 4 update, and many likely used these readily available vouchers without hesitation. This dish offers a chance at one of three buffs, with the Defender Meal (Hi) being particularly valuable—providing significant damage reduction during intense monster encounters, making it a go-to choice for high-difficulty quests.

In contrast, equal numbers of the other regional vouchers were not distributed, which helps explain the low usage rates for Sild, Suja, and Azuz cuisines. However, when examining Pick-a-Meal Vouchers—where players can choose any regional dish—the true preferences come into focus.

Pick-a-Meal Voucher data reveals a different story. Hot Azuz Cuisine is the top choice at 41.3%, followed by Colorful Suja Cuisine (28.3%), Spring Kunafa Cuisine (19%), and Fresh Sild Cuisine (12%). This shift indicates that when given a free choice, players actively favor Azuz and Suja dishes over the previously dominant Kunafa option.

The appeal of Hot Azuz Cuisine lies in the Tumbler Meal (Hi) buff, which significantly enhances evasion—especially beneficial for bow users who rely on well-timed Discerning Dodges to fill their Trick Arrow Gauge. Meanwhile, Colorful Suja Cuisine caters to aggressive, reward-focused players. Its buffs include Caprice Meal (Hi), which randomly boosts attack power, and Exploiter Meal, increasing rewards from damaging monster weak points—alongside the visual treat of watching your hunter devour oversized sushi rolls.

Despite the strategic value of buffs, player sentiment also plays a role. The Pick-a-Meal data has sparked discussion online, particularly around the low popularity of Fresh Sild Cuisine. While most in-game meals are rendered with mouthwatering detail—so much so that Kunafa’s banquet animation reportedly caused real-world demand spikes for cheese naan in Japan—Sild’s offerings fall short in visual appeal.

Located in the desolate ruins of Wyveria, Sild’s cuisine consists of simple, rustic fare like unripe white tomatoes and raw garlic bulbs. Compared to the lavish spreads of other regions, Sild’s meals are often described as “unappetizing,” a sentiment echoed in community forums such as Reddit, where players have openly questioned the region’s culinary charm.

All village meals
byu/save_0 in MonsterHunter

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Capcom appears committed to ongoing player insights, with plans to release future editions of the White Paper series. As Monster Hunter Wilds continues to evolve—especially following the May 28 update that introduced Street Fighter’s Akuma—these reports offer a fascinating glimpse into how players interact with both gameplay mechanics and world-building elements like food. [ttpp]