Birthdays and Most Favs for Eligible Girls in Rune Factory Frontier

Note on 4 May: I have created a Rune Factory Frontier Characters Guide now and am in the process of creating a Courtship and Marriage Guide. All birthdays for Eligible Girls and some information about Most Favourites are included in the Characters Guide:


Mist:

Birthday: 1 Autumn
Most Favourite Gift: Emery Flower
Easiest Favourite Gift: Turnips
Other Favourite Items: Turnips, Radish, 4 leaf Clover, Croquette, Baked Apple, Fried Udon, Seafood Gratin, Sweet Potato, Cake, Steamed Bread, Cheese Bread, Pound Cake
Most Detested Gift: Pickled Turnip
Actual Dialogue:
Mist: I’ll be looking forward to those turnips.
Me: … Does this mean I have to give her some turnips later…?
Official Description: The girl next door. A bit aloof and random but is very nice. Likes Turnips.

Rosetta

Birthday: 21 Autumn
Most Favourite Gift: Cherry Pie
Easiest Favourite Gifts: Strawberry, Hot Milk
Other Favourite Items: Roasted Yam, Strawberry, Corn, Cherry Grass, Hot Milk, Hot Chocolate, French Fries, Ear of Corn, Hot Chocolate, Omelet
Most Detested Gift: Milk
Rosetta: Let me tell you a little secret, Freyr.
Freyr: What is it?
Rosetta: My birthday is on the 21st of Autumn. I’ll be waiting for a present.
For Roasted Yam on her birthday:
Rosetta: (Thank you!) Thanks! You’re really considerate for getting me Roasted Yam for my birthday.
Rosetta: One of the things I like is ‘Roasted Yam’ (Baked Sweet Potato). I love how sweet it is. I also like strawberries and Hot Milk. I guess I really like sweets.
For Hot Chocolate or Strawberry: Thank you! But how did you know what I liked? Don’t tell me you like me. … No way. But thanks anyway.
Rosetta: Oh, by the way, I never liked drinking milk. I know I shouldn’t be picky about food, but I just can’t drink it.
Official Description: The girl at the grocery store. Her words may sting at times, but she is always hard at work.
Background history:
Rosetta: Did I tell you that my family runs a general store? My father does most of the work, but I used to help out. What I learned there is helping me do what I do now.
N.B. This refers to her life in Kardia in the original Rune Factory.

Lara

Birthday: 1 Winter
Most Favourite Gift: Chocolate Cake
Other Favourite Items: Strawberry, Berry Jam, Grape Jam, Orange Jam, Apple Jam, Lamp Squid Sashimi, French Toast, Donut, Pancake
Most Detested Gift: Vegetable Juice
Actual Responses:
For Strawberry or Berry Jam(with music): Why, thank you. How did you know what I liked?
Lara: I actually like sweets. Like chocolate cake and jam… I know it’s bad for my health to eat too much of it, but I just can’t help myself…
Official Description: The nurse/sister at the church. Nice to every one but tends to worry a bit too much.
Cinnamon: In this season, it’s all about the Cross. Out of all the constellations, it’s thought to be the most mystical.
Freyr:: Oh, there must be a lot of stories behind it, then.
Cinnamon: I’ll tell you about it when you find it. You can see the Cross a bit late at night. Go find it.
The Cross Constellation is associated with Lara and can be viewed after 8.00 p.m.

Melody

Birthday: 11 Spring
Most Favourite Gift: Relax Tea
Easiest Favourite Gifts: Wild Grasses (any colour)
Other Favourites: Charm Blue, Medicinal Herb, Black Grass, Orange Grass, Yellow Grass, Red Grass
Most Detested Gift: Mayonnaise
Melody: I love Relax Tea. I drink it while I’m in the bath to relax even more.
For Relax Tea: This is Relax Tea! It’s for me?! Thanks! I love you!
For Medicinal Herb: For me? Thanks! I’ll take anything you want to give me.
Melody: My birthday is on the 11th of spring. I’ll be waiting for a present!
Melody: Is there anything you don’t like to eat, Freyr? I hate mayonnaise. Just looking at it sends a shiver down my spine, so don’t ever give it to me!
Official Description: The always lively bathhouse owner. Always in search for the perfect bath.
It is Melody who will give you a Hammer when you reach the source of the Spring in the Cave Depths at Whale Island.
She will make a number of Requests for different wild Coloured Grasses by letter. As always when completing a letter Request, give the required item to Anette to deliver to Melody.

Bianca

Birthday: 8 Summer
Most Favourite Gift: She has None but will accept some items with less rudeness than others
Note that in terms of advancing your Courtship, Bianca will be affected more by conversation than gifts of any ordinary items. Your best strategy is simply to speak to her daily during the Summer season.
Response to ordinary Gifts:
For Amethyst, Aquamarine (Lv. 7), Orange Marmalade, Energy Drink, Berry Juice, Udon, etc: What is this? Is it for me? I suppose I’ll take it off your hands.
For any accessory that qualifies as ‘jewelry’, even if it is a simple Pendant or Wing Ring, she will tell you:
Bianca: Your tastes haven’t changed it seems… I guess I’ll put it on, since you tried…
Response to accessory items she scorns:
For Hand-Knit Hat: You should be ashamed by your lack of taste.
For edible items she detests:
For Hot Rice Ball: (with cross hurt and thunder): You’ve got some nerve.
Bianca: There is a food called ‘Bavarois’. Id’ like to try it once. Bring it to me if you find it, but I won’t hold my breath.
Bianca: Once I get bored of Trampoli, I may move to another summer home. You’ll have to entertain me so that doesn’t happen.
Official Description: The young miss of the opulent Viviash household. Seems selfish but has a tender heart.
A ‘Treasure Hunt’ is connected with Bianca. You will experience an Event with her wherein you find the beginning of a poem on a piece of paper. Go to the Conservatory to find the next hint, then to the little island to the right of the Beanstalk Island at Lake Poli to find the final verse with a Diamond. When you next visit Bianca, you will find a Wedding Ring in front of her house, triggering the last Event in this series with Bianca.

Tabatha

Birthday: 12 Autumn
Most Favourite Gift: Porridge
Easiest Favourite Gifts: Flour
Other Favoured Gifts: Apple, Mixed Juice, Mixed Ole
Most Detested Gift: Sashimi
Tabatha: I really like rice porridges. Am I strange for liking it? I think the cooking method of porridge is actually one of the most elaborate. (with hearts) You can feed it to the sick so I think it is a very gentle food.
For Porridge or Flour: Thank you very much. I can see that you purposely selected something I liked.
Official Description: The elven maid under Bianca. Gentle and perfect in all her work.

Eunice

Birthday: 17 Autumn
Most Favourite Gift: Mont Blanc
Easiest Favourite Gifts: Moondrop Flower, Toy Herb, Pink Cat, Charm Blue
Other Favoured Gifts: Cake, Chocolate Cake, Cheese Cake, Emery Flower
Most Detested Gift: Any Fish
For Moondrop or Toy Herb: (with music): Wow, thank you! I’ll be sure to cherish this flower!
Actual Dialogue:
Eunice: Did I tell you my birthday, Freyr? My birthday is on the 17th of Autumn. It’s the season when everything tastes good.
Eunice: I love sweets!
Note that any gift of sweets is against her own interests. As she herself will tell you:
Eunice: I love sweet stuff. But because of that, I have a little problem… I mean, nothing. I was just talking to myself.
For any gift of Fish: I’m sorry… I don’t like… fish…
Eunice: I just don’t like fish. I know it’s bad to be picky about food, but I just can’t eat it.
Official Description: The innkeeper’s daughter. Loves housework but suffers from her father’s genes.
N.B. Although Eunice personally hates fish, she will Request a Fish in a Letter. Give the Fish to Anette to deliver rather than giving it to Eunice herself!
Note that, at 4 Hearts, you will experience an Event with Eunice that gives you the option to persuade her to go on a slimming programme. If you tell her that you like slim girls, she will vow to become slim herself. From this point forward, she will declare that: ‘Sweets are the enemy!’
She even will reject her former Most Favourite gift, Mont Blanc, declaring that:
For Mont Blanc: N-no! I can’t eat cake while I’m on a diet!
Give her flowers instead!

Cinnamon

Birthday: 26 Spring
Most Favourite Gift: Magic Crystal
Easiest Favourite Gifts: Chub, Sardine, and other Fish
Most Detested Gift: Any Dish made from a dead creature, such as prepared Fish
For Chub or Sardine: … Thank you. I like this.
For any ‘prepared’ or ‘cooked’ Fish, she will tell you: …Thank you, but I’m not very happy.
Official Description: Magician girl living in the Clock Tower. Does not like talking. Likes fishing.
Cinnamon will give you her used Fishing Pole and will teach you about seasonal Constellations in the night skies. She believes in ‘catch and release’ where fishing is concerned, and therefore will prefer the gift of a whole Fish to one that has been prepared in your Kitchen.
You can obtain a boost in Heart Level by finding the Constellations she describes to you.
Actual Dialogue:
Cin: Pike is in season now. Do you like Pike, Freyr?
My choices:
I like them.
I actually hate them.
Whichever answer you give:
Cinnamon: … Oh.
Cinnamon: You get Fall Fish in Autumn, but I don’t know where you can catch them. Find out about it.
Cinnamon: Black Fish is good in autumn. You can make it into sashimi or just roast it with salt. I really like it.
Note that, despite her dialogue with respect to Black Fish, she only appreciates the living Fish as a gift!

Anette

Birthday: 4 Winter
Most Favourite Gifts: Pumpkin Tart, Croquette
Easiest Favoured Gifts: any Fruit; Strawberry
Other Favoured Gifts: Boiled Egg
Detests: Eggplants
Actual Dialogue:
Anette: There! Now I’m done with the deliveries for today. I’m feeling a bit hungry now. Today is a great day for ‘Pumpkin Tart!’
Anette: I just love to have some Croquette after a hard day’s work!
Anette: I love fruit! You don’t even need to add sugar because it’s already sweet.
For Strawberry (with music): Huh? It’s for me? Thanks!
Anette: It’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but I hate eggplants. What’s with that creepy colour?
Official Description: The ever-energetic mail delivery girl. Has a problem of being chased by monsters.

Selphy

Birthday: 3 Autumn
Most Favourite Gifts: Rice Ball, Sandwiches
Most Detested Items: Gems
Actual Dialogue:
Selphy: Oh! I like sandwiches and rice balls. Things that I can eat with only one hand.
Selphy: The heroine in the book I’m reading right now was born on the 3rd of Autumn. Apparently it has some deep meaning. I’m feeling a really strong affinity towards her. That’s because my birthday is also on the 3rd of Autumn.’
For Rice Ball: Wow, thanks! I love rice balls!
Selphy: You know what? I really hate jewels.
Freyr: What?! That’s really rare. I thought most women like jewels.
Selphy: Probably. But just don’t ask me why, okay? It’s elementary, my dear Watson!
Freyr (with tear): (Who’s Watson?)
Official Descriptions: Loves books. So much so that she often forgets to eat, which worries Lara.
At 4 Hearts, you will experience the following exchange:
Selphy: I got buried under the books when they fell the other day and Lara had to save me.
Freyr: Didn’t the books fall before?
Selphy: Haha, you got me there! Lara told me that it’s dangerous so I have to clean up the library.
My choices now:
I think you should, too.
I think it’s fine the way it is.
Freyr: Well, I think you should, too. It’s dangerous if the books fall again.
Selphy (with thunder and cross hurt): Ugh… You’re saying that, too?

Uzuki

Birthday: 15 Summer
Most Favourite Gift: Golden Hairpin
Easiest Favourite Gifts: Black Sashimi, Char Sashimi
Other Favourite Gifts: Gold, Magic Crystal, Turtle Shell
Most Detested Gifts: any Vegetables
Actual Responses:
For Char Sashimi or Black Sashimi: Is that for me?! You knew that I am partial to fish… I must thank you.
For Char Sashimi on her birthday: Char Sashimi! This makes me doubly happy because today is my birthday. Thank you, Freyr.
Polite response to ordinary gifts:
For Red Grill Sashimi, Hot Milk: For me? Why, you have my thanks.
Note that, although she will tell you she is ‘partial to fish’, it is only certain varieties that truly please her.
Official Description: Comes from a distant land of the East. Loves to learn about cultures.

Iris

Birthday: 23 Winter
Most Favourite Gifts: Tomato Juice
Easiest Favoured Gifts: Moondrop Flower or any other Flower
Most Detested Gift: Garlic
Official Description: A wondrous girl. Sleeps during the day to stay out of the sun. Loves flowers.
Iris is an artist who seeks to capture the atmosphere of the floating island in her pen and ink drawings. She actually is an ancient member of a Vampyre Tribe and thus will recoil from Garlic. Experience a special Event by attempting to give her Garlic.
Actual Dialogue:
Iris: Don’t you just feel like drinking tomato juice impulsively sometimes? You don’t? I guess it’s just me…
Iris: I’m enjoying the flower patch that you grew. I really love flowers.
For Tomato Juice: Is this for me? Thank you! I love tomato juice!
For Moondrop Flower: Thank you! It’s a very pretty flower… I’ll be sure to cherish it!
Freyr: Do you draw, Iris?
Iris: Yes. I draw with ink and charcoal. Unfortunately, I’m terrible at it. I hope you’ll come see this drawing after I finish it!
For Garlic:
Iris: Thank you. But… what is this? Is this… garlic…? My vision is turning… dark…
Darkness, then the sound of a heavy thump.
Freyr: Iris! Iris!
Iris: (What happened?) What happened to me? I thought I saw you come to me and…
Lose both Love and Friendship Points for playing a trick like this on a member of an ancient Vampyre Tribe!
Iris will request that you act as her model for a drawing. The result will be less than perfect in her first attempt, but she will continue to perfect her skills.
Iris: I drew another picture. Would you like to see it?
Me (with enthusiasm): Of course!
Iris: I drew a flower patch this time. What do you think?
Me: … (A flower patch…? It looks like a Fluffy exploded…)
Freyr: You’re very good. I think you’ve gotten much better, Iris.
Iris: Really?! I’ll be sure to draw many more piectures then!


Iris (Noire)

Birthday: 23 Winter
Most Favourite Gift: Tomato Juice
For Tomato Juice: Is this for me? Thank you! I love Tomato Juice!
Official Description: The other half of Iris. A liveliness returned to her upon meeting Freyr.
Iris Noire is the other half of Iris, who split in two because of her intense loneliness centuries ago. Her portrait will not appear in the Relations page until you have defeated her on the 3rd Floor of the Snow Ruins.
When she has been reunited with Blanche, she will offer to tell your fortune when you visit her.
Note that although her likes and dislikes are the same as Blanche, she has her own Love and Friendship levels, unlike the ‘twins’ in the 2nd Generation of Rune Factory 2 who were not identical twins but who were treated as a single individual for the purposes of Heart Levels and Events. Make certain to give both girls a gift when you see them.

More Sympathy for poor Rick

In all my excitement at having experienced the gift-giving ceremony of the Spring Thanksgiving event with each one of the Valley bachelors, I forgot that I could not marry Skye yet if I wished to complete all the Mineral Town heart events... My brief moment of elation now has been crushed by the weight of my duty to write a COMPLETE guide...

Just joking about that, because in fact, every event has some value and I love experiencing as many events as possible in any Harvest Moon game. I therefore put my feelings for Skye in storage and went on to experience life as a single girl, triggering Rick's 3rd Heart Event on a rainy Saturday...

Actually, I am very glad I did. One gets a sense that Rick is pushy and interfering, that he lacks a sufficient sense of moral support for his sister Popuri, that SHE in fact is the victim of his officious meddling for the most part... until one experiences Rick's Blue Heart Event in Cute.

In More Friends of Mineral Town, one realises that poor Rick is burdened by too much responsibility at too early an age. I believe it is in his fourth heart event there that he lets his hair down a little, figuratively speaking, and is able to enjoy a carefree evening with you at Doug's Inn. His enthusiasm and appreciation of your sense of humour there is quite touching...

Well, if you have not played More Friends of Mineral Town, you probably will find little to like in Rick's behaviour in Forget-Me-Not Valley until you experience his Third Heart Event. After all, most of his dialogue is filled with anger against Kai and his determination to supervise Popuri's behaviour at every turn.

The Blue Heart Event begins no differently. Ruby has expressed an intention of cooking an egg dish for Rick. It is interesting that the old adage of 'bringing coals to Newcastle' does not apply either to Popuri or Rick. Although they LIVE at a Poultry Farm, both of them love eggs and any dish made with eggs. Rick's Most Favourite is a Spa Egg and Popuri's Most Favourite dish is Omelet Rice.

Rick suggests that you join him for dinner and you greet his idea with pleasure. Ruby is delighted to accommodate an extra guest. She is in the process of beginning to prepare the meal when Popuri arrives on the scene.

Ruby tells Popuri that she is making her favourite dish for dinner without stipulating the dish. Those of us who have courted Popuri in the original HM DS know that it is Omelet Rice that is on the menu...

Popuri immediately offers to help cook the meal. Rick is very upset by this turn of events and proceeds to tell you that the dinner will be ruined by his sister's participation, that she will make many mistakes, correct none of them and ultimately serve a nightmare... so much for his hopes of enjoying one of Ruby's delights!

At this point, you may be rather disgusted with him for being such a killjoy and having such a low opinion of his sister. Wait, though...

Ruby will be impressed by Popuri's thoughtfulness in offering to help and will welcome her with open arms. As they prepare the meal, however, Popuri will prove Rick's fears to have been well-founded as she first adds too much spice, then vegetables that have not been cooked properly and finally refuses even to taste the dish before serving it, repeating again and again that everything is 'fine'...

When you eat your food, you will be poisoned by it, although you will not pass out, nor will you be rushed to Dr. Hardy for any antidote. It does not appear to have any lasting negative effects either on SR or FR... Even so, the poison icon will appear above your head...

You say nothing of this and Popuri is absolutely oblivious to the result of her carelessness. Furthermore, Ruby herself appears to think that all is well.

Outside the door of the kitchen, Rick will ask you if you have been affected badly by the food. When you attempt to reassure him, he correctly will assume that it is kindness alone that motivates you. He will thank you for being so considerate and thoughtful towards Popuri and confess that he cares greatly about his sister.

It is an event that truly offers a little window to Rick's soul...

You do have a choice during the event, after Rick's pronouncements of doom and gloom, to leave... If you choose this option, you will speed out of the room, sparing yourself a poisoning, but Rick's heart level will drop to purple again and he will be hurt and perplexed by your actions, despite the fact that he did everything in his power to warn you against Popuri's cooking!

My own question is: how could Ruby not have tasted the food herself and how could she have allowed it to be served if it actually had the power to poison a guest???
Never mind, though. The event serves its purpose which is to demonstrate that Rick, far from being the insensitive lout he appears sometimes, actually knows his sister better than we realise and is acting to protect her from her worst excesses...

There is another aspect to this event that deserves a quick mention. It emphasises the importance of Cooking in Harvest Moon. So many Harvest Moon games include very detailed and rich 'recipes' or cookbooks. Very often, the 'Most Favourite' Gift for an individual will be a cooked item. Many events focus on cooking or eating. There are many Festivals in Harvest Moon that are centred on food. The Cooking Contest in FoMT/MFoMT, Rune Factory and Harvest Moon DS/Cute DS is an example, but it is not the only Festival that focuses on food. There are Egg Festivals in other Harvest Moon games, including Magical Melody. An Innocent Life has a number of Festivals that require your character to provide specific crops or ingredients, and indeed, the Christmas Festival involves the preparation of a special Cake. In many Harvest Moon games, the Year End and New Year Festivals are your sole opportunity to acquire special ingredients needed to complete your Cookbook... You are not required to complete your Cookbook in Harvest Moon games but it is an enjoyable and sometimes challenging goal.

The Delight is in the Details... Murrey's Birthday

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In most Harvest Moon games, the goal simply is to create a good life for oneself and to make a contribution to the village or place in which one lives. One isn't punished actively if one fails to remember a birthday but I personally love to remember every individual's birthday with a special gift he or she likes.

In the first two seasons of gameplay, one of my personal goals is to raise every individual's friendship level to maximum. In HM DS and HM Cute DS, maximum friendship level is 255 FP. Having done that, the birthday gift bonus of 5x the ordinary 'value' of the gift becomes irrelevant but I still try not to forget any one's birthday.

Thursday, 29 Autumn is Murrey's birthday. I have had him at 255 FP for quite some time now and have experienced most of his events, including the two with the Gourmet.
My main preoccupation today was Grey, who visits the Valley only on Thursday and whom I have at Blue Heart level now. I wanted to make certain, therefore, to experience his Third Heart Event.

Having done that earlier in the day, I was free to concentrate on Murrey. In general, Murrey can be found near the Goddess Spring in the morning and at the Villa in the afternoon. At night, he returns to the Goddess Spring.

Today, however, I did not find him at the Villa. Although I created a Schedule of Movements for HM DS, I had not expected I would need it and in fact, decided simply to search for Murrey... I remembered that Thursday was the day when he visited the Blue Bar in the evening, but where did he go today after he left the Goddess Spring? It took me a few minutes to find him... in the kitchen of the Inner Inn!

Yes, I should have remembered that Thursday was his day to visit the Inner Inn... I could have waited until evening to present him with his gift at the Blue Bar, but in finding him in the kitchen, I was able to experience some of his most amusing dialogue.

Murrey stands in a corner in Ruby's kitchen. One suspects that he thinks he is 'hiding'. In 'A Wonderful Life', Murrey often will raid your own storeroom and kitchen for food. He doesn't consider it to be theft. He feels that any food storage exists for his benefit in a way. Even so, his forays sometimes are clandestine.

In Ruby's kitchen, Murrey will tell you: 'Here's where the most food falls, and it's the tastiest too! Are you going to get some food too, Freya? Don't take Murrey's share.'

That appears to be his new theory of existence. Food simply 'falls' like manna from heaven...

I gave him his 'Most Favourite', an egg and he duly confirmed that it was indeed his birthday, thanking me politely for the gift. He is more enthusiastic about eggs when it ISN'T his birthday, actually but the egg would have increased his FP by 45 points rather than 9 if it were not at maximum.

Most Favourite Gifts and the Pot in Harvest Moon

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It really is not necessary ever to give the 'Most Favourite' Item to a prospective spouse in order to win his/her heart in Harvest Moon. In the 'boy' version of HM DS, I was able to raise every girl's heart level to deepest red without ever giving the girl her 'Most Favourite' gift AND was able to do it by the earliest date when I would be able to marry in the game. In Cute, the same holds true. I had every ordinary bachelor at deepest red heart level before the end of Autumn in the first year.

What I did not notice previously, however, was the fact that every 'Most Favourite' item for any of the ordinary bachelors of the Valley requires the use of a Pot to prepare. You cannot acquire the Pot before the middle of the first Autumn, even if you upgrade your house once at the earliest possible date in order to be able to purchase the Kitchen and all Implements. The Pot is the implement that is offered LAST...

Here are the Most Favourites:

Carter: Candied Potato, prepared with a Yam and a POT
Griffin: Fish Stew, prepared with a medium fish and a POT
Gustafa: Hot Milk, prepared with Milk and a POT
Marlin: Elli Leaves, prepared with Bodigizer XL, Turbojolt XL and all six Failed Dishes (one of which must be made with the POT)
Rock: Cheese Fondue, prepared with Bread, Cheese, Wine and a POT
Skye: Finest Curry, prepared with Rainbow Curry, White Curry and all six Failed Dishes (most of which ingredients require a POT)

As for the bachelors of Mineral Town:

Cliff shares Skye's taste in his Most Favourite item, which is 'Finest Curry'. This dish did not exist in FoMT or MFoMT but Cliff apparently has acquired a love of it since he first became acquainted with Ruby's cooking. He formerly considered a simple Curry Rice to be the best gift of all! Grey's Most Favourite remains Baked Corn, always and forever. Kai's remains the Pineapple. Trent still loves Milk and Rick loves the Spa Egg above all other items... These Most Favourites date from their FoMT/MFoMT days.

The 'Most Favourites' for the Mineral Town bachelors are acquired in different ways. Only the Finest Curry requires the Pot. A Spa Egg requires the unlocking of the first Hot Spring by experiencing Flora's 255 FP Event. A Pineapple is a Summer Crop grown from seed purchased at the Casino window. Baked Corn is made in an Oven. Milk probably will be the first 'Most Favourite' that you acquire, when your first cow reaches maturity.

The eligible girls in the original HM DS are different from HM Cute Valley bachelors with respect to the means by which their Most Favourites are obtained... but in Cute, as you can see, if you wish to make the Most Favourite dish for any Valley bachelor, you must have the POT.

I have included some photographs of the bachelors and their responses when they are given their 'Most Favourite' item. Of all of them, it is Carter's response that is particularly poignant... one wonders if he were a lonely boy, sent off early in life to boarding school...

Food, food, Glorious Food in Harvest Moon DS

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Cooking and food in general are the subject of great interest in Harvest Moon games and Harvest Moon for the DS is no exception. There are a number of events, some quite hilarious, that deal with food either primarily or peripherally.

More than one Heart Event deals with food and/or cooking. Marlin's 3rd Heart Event occurs at the Blue Bar and results in your character drinking too much and having to be carried home, either by Marlin or by Griffin, depending on the response you give.
Skye's 2nd Heart Event involves a diversion created by the delicious odour of Curry... Curry Rice is the centre of Carter's 3rd Heart Event as he seeks to escape it. In Leia's 3rd Heart Event, you are asked to be her 'taster' for a new fish dish. Ruby's 150 FP Event involves a mistake in seasoning on her part. This is an event that occurs on Thursday in both the 'boy' and 'girl' versions of the game, by the way.

A number of Heart Events involve Ruby's kitchen. You will share a meal with Griffin in his 3rd Heart Event and with Carter in his, unless you fail to confirm his small deception.

Murrey, however, probably has the greatest number of events associated with food. There are events with the Gourmet, one of which is included in a previous post. In one event, Van will offer you a rare delicacy but Murrey will take your place at the counter and instead of giving it to you, Van mistakenly will hand it to Murrey. (That event is included both in the 'boy' and 'girl' versions of the game.

Too much food is the subject of an event between Van and Vesta. They will become quite rude to one another as they bicker over the subject of weight. The event will end with a challenge: they decide to participate in a contest to see who can lose the most weight before their next meeting.

Knowing how to cook greatly, whether your character is male or female, always increases your chances of winning the hearts of every one, but especially of any one you would like to marry. In many cases, an individual's 'Most Favourite' gift is a cooked dish. Completing your Recipe Book always is one of the subsidiary goals in any Harvest Moon game.

Knowing the dishes that each individual loves or detests is extremely important. Giving a character a cooked dish that he/she hates is as bad as giving an ordinary item that is disliked.

Knowing the value of food items in terms of Stamina and Fatigue is vital as well. Your character needs to know which items will restore the most energy... Every item, whether raw or cooked, has different effects in terms of Stamina and Fatigue. Some items actually will increase your Fatigue.

Kai is a character whose appearance is based on food. In the summers, he will open a stand on the beach.

Many of the Festivals in Harvest Moon games are centred on food. Special items such as Rice Cakes and Buckwheat Flour are obtained most easily at Festivals. In some Harvest Moon games, the only method by which to acquire these items is by attending the appropriate Festival. In Harvest Moon DS, the New Year Festival, the Cooking Festival, the Beach Festival, the Harvst Festival and the Year-End Festival all are devoted to Cooking and Eating.

Food and Cooking play an important part even in games like Rune Factory and 'An Innocent Life'. Part of the challenge and enjoyment of any Harvest Moon game is learning how to cook, finding rare ingredients and completing your Cookbook.