What to know
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You can only cook at a bivouac setup at a save point, using the hanging burner inside your tent.
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The standard recipe is Instant Noodles + Clear Water, which produces Cooked Noodles.
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Cooking is worth doing because cooked items give better benefits than eating raw ingredients and can be stockpiled since food does not spoil.
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Extra Sweet variants exist by pairing certain foods/drinks with sweet ingredients, and noodles also have an energy drink combo that leads into a secret recipe.
In Cairn, by cooking Noodles, you are basically turning one lightweight pack item into a more efficient, safer-to-carry recovery option for longer stretches between bivouacs. It’s quick and easy and gives a good deal of energy for your climbs.
| Topic | Quick details |
|---|---|
| Where you cook | At a save point: save once, then interact again to set up a bivouac and enter the tent. |
| Station used | The hanging burner in front of Aava inside the tent. |
| Base recipe | Instant Noodles + Clear Water → Cooked Noodles. |
| Why it matters | Cooked items are more effective than raw and help you prepare for longer gaps between bivouacs. |
How cooking works at a bivouac in Cairn
Cooking is tied to the bivouac system: you first reach a save point, save, then interact again to set up your bivouac and access the tent. Once inside, use the burner to combine compatible ingredients into cooked items, and the menu only shows valid combinations so you cannot waste resources on impossible mixes.
How to cook instant noodles in Cairn
Step 1: Reach a save point and set up a bivouac
Find a save point, save your game, then interact with it again to establish your bivouac and enter the tent.
Step 2: Use the hanging burner
Inside the tent, interact with the hanging burner (your cooking station) to open the combine-and-cook interface.
Step 3: Combine Instant Noodles with Clear Water
Select Instant Noodles.
Pair them with Clear Water.
Then cook.
Step 4: Store it for the next stretch
Cook whenever you can, because bivouacs can be spaced out as you climb and food does not spoil, so carrying cooked meals is pure upside.
Secret-leaning noodle variants you should know
Some recipes have variants (like Extra Sweet) that come from swapping the liquid base or adding sweet components, and there is also a known secret noodle dish that uses an Extra Sweet Yellow Yak plus Instant Noodles. If you are early in your run, it is still worth learning the base Cooked Noodles first since it only needs Clear Water and the noodle pack.
Rewards and effects
| Result | Ingredients | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked Noodles | Instant Noodles + Clear Water | +10 Hunger / +20 Health |
| Tourist-Trap Noodles (secret) | Yellow Yak (Extra Sweet) + Instant Noodles | Effects not clearly listed in the recipe tables I used |
Noodles as a mid-climb stabilizer
If you know a tough vertical section is coming, cook at the last bivouac you see and treat Cooked Noodles as a reliable mid-climb stabilizer you can pop without gambling on rare ingredients. The main habit to build is simple: every bivouac is a chance to convert your inventory into better, non-spoiling resources for later.
Instant Noodles are one of the easiest cooking wins in Cairn: you only need the burner, Clear Water, and the noodle pack to turn them into a stronger recovery item. Once you are consistent with that loop, you will feel the difference on longer stretches where the next rest point is not guaranteed.
