Today is April 1—that wonderful day of the year in which game makers conjure up silly “jokes” to amuse or annoy us, depending on how you feel about these things. It’s a tough day for game journalists, because while some April Fools are obvious, others are more subtle, and we don’t want to make ourselves look silly by reporting on a gag as if it was real.
But I double-checked with CD Projekt, and this one is no joke: The Witcher Cookbook, “an official guide to the food of the continent,” is a collection of 80 recipes inspired by the games that’s coming out in October.
Take a culinary journey through the Continent with The Witcher Cookbook — created by Anita Sarna and Karolina Krupecka of @WitcherKitchen & @NerdsKitchen, it includes 80 mouthwatering recipes inspired by the world of The Witcher games! Pre-order now: https://t.co/RG8os78PRS pic.twitter.com/QPvEK4ipKHMarch 31, 2022
“These dishes celebrate local and seasonal ingredients while adding unique twists that form a culinary map of the Continent and beyond,” the preorder page says. “Warm up over a bowl of fragrant stew or juicy baked fruit from the namesake trees of White Orchard; end a hard journey to Velen with a hearty, rustic meal at the local tavern; enjoy an aromatic snack as you stroll the markets of Oxenfurt; sample dishes from near and far in the diverse port city of Novigrad; dine on freshly-caught fish and mulled drinks on the islands of Skellige; feast on rich dishes in the sun-drenched climates of Toussaint and Beauclair; or forage on the perilous road to Kaer Morhen to learn the edible secrets of the witcher’s keep.”
The book—which, again, is real—is being authored by Anita Sarna and Karolina Krupecka, who run the Nerds Kitchen and Witcher Kitchen websites. And yes, the Witcher Kitchen, featuring “recipes inspired by the Witcher games and books,” is also real, and has some pretty great-looking grub—although I’m not quite sure what to make of the Elf and Onion Soup recipe. It does include one of Geralt’s most perfectly in-character quotes from The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, though:
Geralt: What’s in the pot?
Troll: Soup – elf and onion. Gooood. Want try?
Geralt: I don’t really care for onions.
Troll: Stupid witsha. Elf good taste with onions…Tomato like.
(You can apparently substitute beef for elf meat if that’s more to your taste.)
The Witcher Cookbook will be available in a hardcover edition for $35, or you can opt for the Kindle version from Amazon for $15. It’s set to come out on October 25. And if what you really have a taste for is April Fools’ jokes, be sure not to miss our roundup of the best videogame gags of 2022.