Breath of the Wild added many things to the Zelda series. Its world was more expansive and gave players more creative freedom than ever before. The environment was yours to manipulate and develop your own methods of survival. The adventure unfolded the way you wanted. For Zelda fans with a fondness for the culinary arts, it also added another important feature: cooking! No longer did your Link have to live on a diet of milk and soup (if he was lucky). A literal buffet awaited as long as you scoured the wild for the ingredients. In one of her many adorable works of art, CherryJellyMM features a celebratory cookout as the champion chef shows off his grilling skills to his past selves.
In the top center of the piece is the happy smiling face of Link, the Hero of the Wild. His face is lit up with anticipation and happiness. Fans who complain that this version of Link shows no emotion clearly haven’t noticed that this boy turns into the living embodiment of joy when he cooks. Musical notes float around his head, reminding us of the familiar tune the hero hums while waiting for his grub to finish.
On the left side of the piece is Young Link from Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. This well-seasoned adventurer’s face is slightly different from his more modern companion. Rather than being excited, this Link looks a bit bemused. It’s as if he’s reminiscing on his own adventures and tallying up the countless bottles of Lon Lon Milk he had to drink. There was no Gourmet Meat Stew or Salmon Risotto for him. Just milk. Sure, the finest milk in Hyrule, Malon and Talon’s pride and joy — but it was still just milk. All day. Every day. Just milk. It’s a good thing that this Link wears green, because it might just mask his simmering jealousy over the menu his descendant gets to enjoy.
Opposite Young Link is the Hero of Winds from The Wind Waker. He too seems surprised as he watches the bubbling ingredients hopping around the cooking pot. What could this blue-clad Link be preparing for them? Toon Link did have it slightly better than the Hero of Time, because at least he had the homemade soup lovingly prepared by his grandma. Sure, it was just soup every day, but at least it was prepared with the greatest secret ingredient of all: love.
The cooking pot itself fills the bottom of the frame. What appears to be a chicken breast, steak, and an apple can be seen jumping around in the cooking pot as the three heroes wait for dinner to be served. Hopefully our Hylian Champion isn’t treating this as a time to experiment. After all, his newfound friends haven’t had the opportunity to savor tasty meals like he has!
Breath of the Wild’s inclusion of cooking not only offered players a new way to regain health, but it also inspired Zelda-themed cookbooks like The Legend’s Cookbook. Fans could now hum their own tunes as they prepared feasts fit for Link as well as their friends and family. With her beautiful portrait, CherryJellyMM has given us the chance to see a “family” cookout across three generations. The chef gets to show off skills that are uniquely his while the green-clad lads appreciate something new and adventurous to tease their palettes. (Let’s just hope it doesn’t end up being anything too dubious.)
