Artisan Cooking Quest
Posted on June 5th, 2008 by Gavin under Efficiency Tips, Trade Skills
So you’ve got your cooking up to level 225, and you’re level 35 or higher. Now it’s time for your cooking quest. You cannot do the cooking quest until you are level 35 and your cooking is maxed out at 225. After that, grab a boat and a bird and get yourself out to Gadgetzan in Tanaris. Go in the Inn and Talk to Dirge Quikcleave, the butcher. He’s going to ask you to bring him a few things so that he can make you a Clamette Surprise. This quest is super easy to complete, you can just bring everything you need to turn in to Dirge.
The easiest way to collect everything is just buy it all in advance from the AH. Since the items for this quest are not unique quest items, you’re not forced to go and get them yourself. There are almost always a few of these available on the ah, since many people know that someone will buy them for their cooking quest, or use them in cooking.
That being said, you may find the prices not to your liking. If that is the case, you can go and get the stuff yourself. Here’s what Dirge wants from you:
- 12 Giant Egg
- 10 Zesty Clam Meat
- 20 Alterac Swiss
The Swiss cheese is a snap; it’s sold by 35 different vendors, so it’s not exactly rare. The other two things can be farmed in Tanaris, but the drop rates are pretty pathetic for the Clam Meat. For the Giant Eggs you can kill the Rocs around any of the big Bones sticking out of the ground.
In our screenshot just west of Gadgetzan in Tanaris, you can see the Rocs circling the bone pile, as well as two other spots where you can see even more bones on the horizon. Birds always congregate around piles of bones, so those other two piles are also swarming with Rocs.
The Zesty Clam Meat is found in Giant Clams which will drop from the turtles anywhere along the coastline.
Now this is where we set ourselves apart here at Dominate Your Server. Everyone on Thottbot will tell you to go to the Hinterlands to get the eggs and clams – they are WRONG! It turns out that the very best drop rates for the Giant Eggs is from the Rocs in Tanaris. So you can go right outside of town to find them – as well as a few extras to sell at the ah.
For the Giant Clams, the best drops are in the bay west of Theramore Island in Dustwallow Marsh. Almost everything there drops Giant Clams. If you have trouble getting what you need in Tanaris, you can just fly back to Theramore or Brackenwall Village and run over to the water. Our screenshot shows the map of the area.
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Once you get all your mats, all you have to do is turn them in to Dirge and you’re set with artisan cooking up to level 300. At 300 you can buy the Master Cookbook either in the ah or from various vendors in Outlands. Good luck, and remember – even if all you’re doing is cooking; Dominate!
Could i ask why you say Hinterlands is not as good as Tanaris for egg drops? Thottbot says the drop rate is higher in the Hinterlands and the stats for each appear to be about correct. Also, from my knowledge, there are an equal amount of mobs in both locations (over a certain area) with simular spawn times. Lastly, most people who do farm these eggs seem to be in Tanaris, where as the Hinterlands always seems to be empty.
Another great place for clams for the Alliance along with Dustwallow Marsh is Feralas. On the north of the Isle of Dread, there is a cave, just south from Feathermoon Stronghold. This cave is surrounded with Naga along with many inside it. You can single farm or aoe farm here very quickly, barely having to move. From my latest experience, I cleared the inside of the cave and came out with just over 50 clams, having a 96% chance drop.
The one thing this article did not cover is that you will find it very difficult to farm Tanaris if you are only lvl 35–that’s why it is best to farm these items in The Hinterlands unless you are at least lvl 40-42, especially if you are a squishy—a/k/a cloth wearing priest, mage, warlock. I tried on my lvl 42 holy priest and found that I spent more time running back from the graveyard than actual farming. There are the basilisks, scorpids, and hyenas to contend with along with the birds. These mobs seemed to have a large aggro area unless you are at least the same level. The Hinterlands are doable at 35 on a squishy without too much time spent running back from the graveyard. However, I am sure there are players out there that will disagree with me, but IMO if you are a “squishy”, The Hinterlands is a better place to farm than Tanaris.
12 giant eggs should cost you around 12g (a gold a piece) I find on most servers. If you already have a top level player this can remade almost as quickly as the time it takes to log on.
But yes tanaris probally is the best place, just because it’s so near to the quest giver.
Although farming the eggs isn’t such a good idea, keeping an eye on them at the AH is. They appears all the time when i scan using auctioneer. Most people who put them for sale don’t realise what they are for, and will put a stack up for around 50s. You can buy these and have them sold for 10g the next day. A nice easy profit.
They are also a very easy item to ‘control’. By this i mean buy at the average price, and sell much higher. Everyone will need them at some point, hardly anyone farms them, and not many can be bothered geting them themselves as mentioned above. You can double the price quite easily, buy any that sell cheaper than yours and put them back up at your chosen price and you will get your price. Just don’t be too greedy!
Buying all the mats for this quest would certainly be easier but that can be said for most things. This quest would be too much of a pain to solo at 35 in my opinion so I wouldnt reccomend doing it without a partner or higher level. If you have skinning and/or leatherworking, you can kill two birds with one stone and farm the turtles in Tanaris for both clam meat and scales. When it comes to the giant eggs, I found more reliable drop rates and spawn points for the Rocs in Tanaris. But again, I wouldnt try soloing this at 35.
there is still a bug in the quest where you have to get to 226 after completion before leaving gadgetstan or you will never be able to progress past 225. it is the same with the fishing quest as well.
omg, this has happened to me i cannot get any sense out of dirke, my cooking is at 225 and i cannot progress anymore
(lvl 40 too) is there another way to level up in cooking?
As my fishing was always high enough to fish the areas i was in ..and beyond..i fished for my clam meat. Not hard to do as the turtles are yellow. drop rate is fairly good and no repair bills
GL all- oh and yes I farmed all my eggs in Tanaris..found the time spent traveling was horrid- even as a mage (lvl35 when i went to Tanaris btw)
I found it quite easy to farm clams by killing the turtles along the eastern shoreline of tanaris. Then with the exception of the swiss, you can farm all the mats right in tanaris.