This is more of a statement being applied across the guidebook in general, than an actual analysis over the two different topics. To begin we can define the two topics, a necessity for those of you starting with this book as your only insight into alchemy.

Food alchemy is already noticeable throughout this story, in recipes such as the Falling brick potion, and Fatigue reducing items. These are recipes that utilise cooking-like methods or produce goods that can be used as food. These will almost always be seen in potions or edible products, but are less likely to happen as cultivation increases.

Magical cooking is cooking at its roots. In its case, it primarily focuses on making excellent meals that go beyond the breadth of regular cooking, but it also asks for cultivation requirements as many magical meats require that similar alchemical flame to even begin cooking. The meals in most cases provide no benefits beside a revitalisation of Qi, but considering how delicious they are I have to say it’s definitely worth it.

Now to continue. Some like to say that Magical cooking is in some way a lesser version of alchemy, primarily younger pupils of the craft. This is not true.

By comparing alchemy and cooking you are trying to analyse two completely different crafts to each other. It’s like comparing formation engraving to alchemy, in that alchemy is clearly less powerful than the mega-formations some can create. Comparing these two different topics aids no one, and instead just serves to attack the people who took on an objectively weaker true calling. It in no way provides useful insight, and even if it did, why does that matter?

If you picked alchemy because you believed that it’ll make you stronger, and no reason beside that, then don’t expect me to help you when your destiny seeking fails. I’ve seen many people that believe their true desire is strength, and then watch that collapse during intense internal debates. I have made the steps for finding your ideal craft noticeably clear in the past, and so have hundreds of others at my level, but if you choose to ignore it then go ahead.

But returning to the main argument, I still need to do my job as a senior on this path. To chastise and look down on those belligerent few who fail to understand the place each path holds, you should learn your lesson and curb your pride before it imposes a cost. And rarely is that cost any less than your life.

I am not an incredibly spiteful person, neither do I hold grudges for an incalculably long time, but I have my own heart and will. To me it is a disgrace for alchemy to ever bear the name of people who dare to spit on the honest lives of others.

To those chefs who are trying to expand their sources and improve, I commend you. However, many of the techniques here ignore the critical values of ingredients that you hold so dear, and the recipes only reinforce this. There are some more specialised books that can help, but this one may simply reduce the quality of your cooking, as has happened to many chefs studying other branches in the past.