An "How-to" guide in creating an cooking mule - Version 4.1 created 12/14/05

So you wanted to level cooking on a character but opted to level another craft on your main?  Don't panic.  In FFXI, extra content IDs are very cheap to the point almost every player has bought one or two of them to create extra character called mules.  Mules serve various purposes, including but not limited to crafting, gardening, or storing equipment.

When you create this mule, you will need to choose Windurst as your home nation.  You need this for two very good reasons: the cooking guild is located in Windurst, and the fish you may need is often found in Windurst.  You will need mules in Bastok and San d'Oria as well, because there are other goods that can only be obtained there.  Sometimes you will need to camp regional vendors and it is quite often that Windurst may not have control of a particular region.  Make sure to cap your fame in Windurst as soon as possible, preferably by trading 200 or more Cornettes to the NPC in Windurst Walls.  Your mules will also need capped fame in the cities that they are based in.  By capping fame you will ensure that you get the cheapest price from regional and standard vendors.  Fame does not affect prices from guild vendors, those prices are dependant on supply and demand.  You must have the fame for the Mog House and Gobbiebag quests, because you must get them done as soon as you can.  Several items and/or recipes have ingredients that do not stack.

You may want to consider at some point in leveling its black mage job to 20, but you do not have to.  The main emphasis is for Warp, and as you get to level 99 cooking you might be forced to find someone to kill bees in Crawler's Nest for a rare drop called Royal Jelly that is RareEx.  Also, you will need to get your mule to Jeuno at some point to buy an airship pass.  With the cost of stealth meds, it is much cheaper to spend 500k for the pass than try to get Rank 5 in a hurry.

The most important fact is that you will need to research your prices before you skill up.  There are 4 sites where I always go to for research of all prices and vendors:

• FFXI Recipe
• The Vana'diel Cookbook
• FFXI Somepage Regional Vendor Information
• Vanadiel's Crafters Compendium

The first site is the place I almost always go to.  It includes a search feature so you can type in a recipe and it will give you results.  It is excellent for looking up materials you will need for guild point days.  The other two are lists of the vendors and prices of the items in a single page.

You should consider researching gardening.  You will need it as you get higher in skill.  You can either use your cooking mule or your other mules for gardening purposes and it will work fine.  Don't plan on growing tree cuttings and tree saplings because you will not be needing the yields for those items.  Instead, you will be using grain seeds and occasionally herb and vegetable seeds.  If you need more information on gardening, Pikko has an excellent site about gardening.

Cooking will require you to make some investment into the fish.  The fish can be obtained through fishing and it is very hard to skill up fishing.  If you have the fishing skill it will help you out considerably.  Clanwind has a very good fishing database that will help you determine if your fisherman can fish them up.

Now the final and most important part is your capital.  While cooking does not need as much capital as other crafts, you will need it to purchase crystals and ingredients.  Several foods will require more capital than others.  The biggest advantage with cooking is that you don't have to devote any capital into other crafts with the exception of getting woodworking to 15 and clothcraft into the low-20s (for cotton tofu).  The only craft you must take to 60 is alchemy, but it is not required if you got a character with 60 alchemy and 60 cooking.  The biggest disadvantage with cooking is that there will be times you will often have to wait on the Auction House for certain items to sell, especially the non-stacking items like cakes, au laits, drinks, and soups.

With all the key things you need to do already pointed out, now it is time to do the most important part: the skillup items.

Items with this icon are recommended for the crafter that has the high-level fishing skill.  Cooking and fishing go hand in hand because fishermen rely on cooks for baits and cooks rely on fishermen on the fish.  You can take both cooking and fishing to 100 skill on the same character, because fishing does not count towards the 40 level buffer once you get a craft past level 60.

Level 1-3: Carrot Broth x4 ( + 4 San d'Oria Carrot)

First, go to your San d'Oria mule and buy several stacks of carrots from Rainbroy's Grocery or the Ronfaure regional vendor.  You may need 12 to 16 stacks of carrots.  Do not waste time at the cooking guild because they are almost always sold out.  Carrot Broth is sold to the NPC at a small loss.

Level 3-10: Orange Juice ( + 4 Saruta Oranges)

The good news is that Saruta Oranges is always available from the regional vendor in Windurst Waters near the West Sarutabaruta zone.  You will need to buy approximately 30 to 40 stacks of Oranges before all is said and done.  Orange Juice does not stack and it moves too slow in the Auction House, so it is in the best interest to vendor it to the NPC for a minor loss.

Guild test item: Salmon Sub Sandwich.  Unless San d'Oria is 3rd in Conquest, you should have no problem in going between your mules for the ingredients.  If San d'Oria is 3rd in Conquest you will have to either camp the cooking guild for Smoked Salmon and Apple Vinegar or wait for the next CQ update to happen.  You may get lucky and find the guild selling the sandwich itself but if the guild calls for that item for guild points you will have to make it.

Level 10-12: Honey x 4 ( + 4 Beehive Chips)

Yes, the beehive chips can get quite expensive.  They can inch up to 25k/stack on the Auction House on certain servers.  But these are easily farmed, and Windurst has their fair share of bees which you can kill.  You will need to start stockpiling on Honey for later recipes, and this is a good bridge synth to use.  Honey also sells very well on the auction house but you will be eating a big loss.  There are several recipes at higher levels that require honey, so hold on to it.

Level 12-20: Selbina Butter x4 ( + Rock Salt + Selbina Milk)

This is one of the first profit synths you will encounter.  Each synth will yield 4 butters.  You will need to hold on to the butter for future synths as well.  You can sell a stack here and there to make up the cost of the ice crystals if you want, especially when Selbina Butter is a item used in a Mog House quest.

Guild test item: Pea Soup.  This is accomplished by buying from the tavern in Upper Jeuno or from the Cooking Guild.  If you must make it, the ingredients are easy to get: you can buy Blue Peas from cooking guild, the Dried Majoram and Distilled Water from vendors in Windurst Waters, and Wild Onions from the Auction House.

Level 20-22: Soy Milk ( + 2 Blue Peas + Distilled Water)

If someone has control of Norvallen Region, this is a very cheap synth.  This was added on the 12/12/05 Update.  Soy Milk stacks, and is used in other recipes added during that update.  Sell this at the AH.

Level 20-22: Baked Popoto ( + Popoto + Selbina Butter)

This is the first of several synths that you will use up that butter.  Popotoes are found from the regional vendor in Windurst Waters.  Hold on to these for future guild point days.

Level 22-26: Meat Jerky x2 ( + G. Sheep Meat + Rock Salt + Dried Majoram)

The materials are very cheap when purchased from vendors, and Meat Jerky sells very well when bazaared in Selbina or Qufim.  It is a very good low level attack food that will get most melee through Valkrum and even Qufim.  You should hold on to unsold meat jerky for those days where the guild calls for it as their item for guild points.

Level 22-27: Boiled Crab ( + Land Crab Meat + Bay Leaves + Distilled Water + Rock Salt)

You will need to camp the auction house for the crab meat.  The other ingredients are cheap from the vendors.  The crab meat is the cheapest in Bastok and expensive in Windurst.  1 stack of Boiled Crab will sell for over 20k at the auction house.  This synth is about a 6k/stack profit.

Level 22-29: Insect Ball x12 ( + Millioncorn + Distilled Water + Little Worm)

If you are big on fishing, you should consider making Insect Balls.  It costs about 150 gil to make 1 stack of Insect Balls, and Insect Balls will sell for 500 gil a stack on the Auction House.  However, unless you have the mules or the gobbiebags done, these insect balls will fill up your inventory very fast and there will be times that they don't sell fast enough.  (I wished that consumable fish bait would stack to 99.)

Level 24-30: Pineapple Juice ( + 2 Kazham Pineapples)

Pineapple Juice is a nice alternative to the Insect Balls.  Pineapple Juice sells to the vendor at break even.  If Windurst gets control of Elshimo Lowland region, it may be a good option to get to 30 on this recipe.

Level 25-31: Sardine Balls x12 ( + Bastore Sardine + Horo Flour + Distilled Water)

You will have to camp the Goblin shop in Lower Jeuno for one reason: Horo Flour does not stack.  If you're fishing in Jeuno, Sardine Balls are excellent bait in that town.

Guild Test Item: Vegetable Gruel.  You will either need to camp the guild or the auction house for this item.  It takes Tarutaru Rice which is only found by gardening, and Batagreens which you must buy from the guild because it is an exclusive item. Once you turn in this item, open an contract with the cooking guild and start saving those guild points because you will need Pattiser and Raw Fish Handling key items ASAP.  The +1 items should get as you go, and save the other key items for later because cooking does not have the greatest guild point items in the world.

Level 28-32: Salmon Eggs x3 ( + Cheval Salmon)

Cheval Salmon is cheap when found on the auction house, and easily obtainable from the fishing guild either in Bibiki Bay or Selbina.  Save the eggs for later.

Level 28-34: Black Bread x4 ( + Rye Flour + Rock Salt + Distilled Water)

The bad news is that Rye Flour does not stack.  The good news is that the cooking guild is more likely going to have the Rye Flour in stock than the San d'Oria Flour.  In addition, Black Bread will pop up as a GP item from time to time (or as an ingredient for a GP item like Salmon Sub Sandwich), so you can save this item for future use.

Level 28-34: Iron Bread x4 ( + San d'Oria Flour + Rock Salt + Distilled Water)

Iron Bread is similar to Black Bread, with the only difference being the flour.  Unlike Black Bread, Iron Bread won't be used much with the exception of a occasional guild point item, and when it happens you're better off buying the bread from vendor in Bastok.

Level 28-35: Meatball x12 ( + Hare Meat + Distilled Water + San d'Oria Flour)

Fishermen that need the bait will level the cooking for Meatballs.  If you do a lot of fishing, you might want to consider making your own bait to save time and money.  Meatballs is used in high-level fishing to fish up those rare fish on the Selbina/Mhaura ferry.  Sell this in bazaar in either town for your best results.

Level 30-37: Bubble Chocolate x12 ( + 4 Kukuru Beans + Selbina Milk + Maple Sugar)

Thanks to the 12/12/05 update, Bubble Chocolate finally has some use in cooking.  It is used to make Buche au chocolat, and those high level cooks are reluctant to make their own bubble chocolate because HQ will do them no good.  The key factor is how you get Maple Sugar.  If Sandy is 3rd in conquest and nobody has control of Faruengandi Region, expect the prices of Maple Sugar to be high.  Hold on to the chocolate for later.  The synth costs 1.4k; the end results sells for 3k a stack on AH.

Level 37-42: Salmon Roe x3 ( + Salmon Egg + Rock Salt)

The only part that you have to be aware is that this synth requires a dark crystal.  Dark crystals can go up to 10k/stack, with San d'Oria being the expensive.  You can either hold on to the Salmon Roe or sell it to a vendor.  However, given the non-stacking nature of flour when it comes to your other option (read next entry), you might save more time on Salmon Roe in the long run.

Level 37-42: Pie Dough x4 ( + Selbina Butter + Rock Salt + San d'Oria Flour)

You will have to mule in a lot of flour before you can get started.  The flour does not stack, so you will have to make several trips.  Pie dough should be saved for future use, as there are several recipes that will take it.

Level 37-43: Tomato Juice ( + Rock Salt + 3 Mithran Tomatoes)

If Windurst has control of Elshimo Lowland regions, you will have an endless supply of Mithran Tomatoes.  Tomato Juice sells to vendor at a very small loss, and it might be a good alternative if you don't want to waste time muling in the flour.  However, if the guild is calling for Tomato Soup or could call for it, you might want to consider selling it in bazaars and auction house somewhere in Windurst.

Guild Test Item: Meat Mithkabob.  Buy one from auction house and trade it in.

Level 43-51: Orange au Lait ( + Selbina Milk + 2 Saruta Orange + Honey)

This is a regen drink but it does not stack.  You can sell this at auction house about break-even, but it does not move fast enough even when you dump these onto mules to sell.  You may have to sell these to vendors so you can continue crafting.

Level 44-52: Crayfish Ball x12 ( + 3 Crayfish + Distilled Water + San d'Oria Flour)

Crayfish Balls are popular for Nebonmite fishing on the ferry or inside Sea Serpent Grotto.  High level fishermen know this, and will be using a lot of that bait while ferry fishing.  Bazaar this in Selbina or Mhaura for best results.

Guild Test Item: Apple Pie.  It is cheaper to buy one from auction house and trade it in.  Once you become a Journeyman and hit level 50 skill, the skill rates start to decrease.  If you have not taken the mule to Jeuno to purchase an airship pass, now is a good time to do so.

Level 51-55: Beaugreen Sautee ( + Beaugreens + Selbina Butter)

Beaugreens can be purchased from the cooking guild or from a regional vendor in Port Windurst.  Just watch out that this item does not stack.  You must sell this item to vendor at a loss of the fire crystal, as it is not worth putting on the auction house.

Level 51-56: Muslum ( + Honey + Grape Juice + Distilled Water)

Grape Juice sells from the vendor in Lower Jeuno.  Muslums sell about 20k/stack on the Auction House and move rather quickly.  Depending on the server, you should make about 5k profit per stack.

Level 51-57: Egg Soup ( + Bird Egg + Distilled Water + Black Pepper + Rock Salt)

If Black Pepper is available at the regional vendor, you can make egg soup.  This is another relatively cheap and easy synth.  Egg soup is sold to the vendor because it does not stack and it has a bad turnover rate on AH.

Level 55-60: Yagudo Drink ( + Yagudo Cherry + 3 Buburimu Grape)

This is a very profitable synth.  It costs about 1800 gil to make, and sells for 2k to 3k gil at the Auction House.  You will also need to save one for a Guild Test item. The drawback is that Yagudo Drinks do not stack.  Yagudo Drinks are commonly used in NM and BCNM fights, thus its turnover rate is rather high for an non-stacking item.

Level 55-61: Stone Cheese x4 ( + Rock Salt + Selbina Milk)

Another synth with cheap materials, but unlike Selbina Butter this version takes an Dark Crystal instead of a Ice Crystal.  You should store a few stacks on a mule in case a future guild point item needs stone cheese.  You can vendor Stone Cheese at a loss of the dark crystal.

Level 55-62: Apple au Lait ( + 2 Faerie Apples + Selbina Milk + Honey)

Apple au Laits are best done when Faerie Apples are easily obtainable, as it is not always the case.  You will have to end up selling them to a vendor, as this item does not move fast enough on the auction house.  If you can't get the apples, it is best to skip this synth.

Guild Test Item: Yagudo Drink.  Once you hit 60 cooking and get Craftsman status, the skill gains will only be .1 gains from the rest of the way.

Level 61-67: Raisin Bread ( + San d'Oria Flour + Rock Salt + Distilled Water + Maple Sugar + Selbina Butter + San d'Oria Grape)

Another synth where everything can be obtained from vendor or made cheaply.  The non-stacking flour can be very annoying, however.  Hold onto raisin bread for those guild point days, and for your guild test item.

Level 61-68: Colored Egg ( + Bird Egg + Distilled Water + La Thiene Cabbage + San d'Orian Carrot)

The advantage of this synth is that the ingredients are cheap from vendor, and the eggs stack.  Save all Colored Eggs for future guild point use.

Level 63-69: Gateaux aux fraises ( + 2 Rolanberry + Distilled Water + Selbina Butter + Selbina Milk + Bird Egg + San d'Oria Flour + Maple Sugar) Key Item: Pattiser

The good news is that all the ingredients can be obtained from a vendor for less than 800 gil/synth, and the item breaks even from what the sales are turning out.  The bad news is that this item does not stack, and is inferior compared to Buche au Chocolat.

Guild Test Item: Raisin Bread.  You can get all ingredients cheaply for this synth, or buy one from cooking guild.

Level 68-70: San d'Oria Tea ( + Win. Tea Leaves + Distilled Water + Maple Sugar + Sage + Selbina Milk)

This is another cheap synth.  You should take it to 70 if you can.  With an recent update, this item is in demand for a NPC fellow quest, so you can sell some in Jeuno AH.  But be warned: it does not stack, and if San d'Oria is 1st in conquest you will be forced to sell to vendor at a loss of the fire crystal if you make too many.

Level 68-72: Pear au Lait ( + 2 Derfland Pear + Selbina Milk + Honey)

If Windurst gets control of the Derfland Region, you can buy all the pears you will need from the regional vendor in Windurst Woods.  Sell the drinks to the vendor.

Level 72-77: Navarin ( + G. Sheep Meat + Popoto + Black Pepper + Olive Oil + Rock Salt + Wild Onion + Mithran Tomato + Distilled Water)

The good news is that everything aside from the wild onion can be found from the vendor.  Wild Onion drops off Goblin Thugs, with a pretty uncommon drop rate.  The bad news is that Navarin does not stack.  Although it sells for 3k a pop at the Auction House, it doesn't always move fast enough to warrant stocking your mules with this item.

Level 72-78: Blackened Newt ( + Elshimo Newt + Dried Majoram + Bay Leaves + Rock Salt)

The tricky part is finding the Elshimo Newt.  It does not stack, and it comes either from fishing or from the sahagins behind the Silver Beastcoin door in Sea Serpent Grotto.  You will have to spend a lot of time camping the Auction House or Fishing Guild.  Many cooks have mentioned that it is a very difficult process to skill on Newt.  You may use Phanaeut Newt in lieu of Elshimo Newt, but you are not as likely going to find that fish either.

Level 72-79 Buche au Chocolat ( + Bubble Chocolate + Kukuru Bean + Selbina Milk + Selbina Butter + Maple Sugar + Bay Leave + San d'Oria Flour + Bird Egg) Key Item: Pattiser.  Level 5 woodworking sub required.

Another brand new item, which is even better than the aux fraises synth.  Aside from the fact it does not stack, you will find that cooks finally have a profitable skillup item during Artisan ranks, depending on availability of Maple Sugar.  This item will be in demand from BLM and RDM of all level ranges, because of a combination of +MP, +INT, and +HMP (couple people have its like a 3hr version of Ginger Cookie).  The only major drawback is that you will need a level 5 woodworking subskill for this craft (actually some of the cooks said it is possible to skill on this with level 0 woodworking skill).  Plan on stocking bazaars while AFK with this item, it will sell if you set it at the right price.  Since this item has been introduced, both the turnover rate and profit rate has been high, because this food affects party members as well.

Level 72-79: Chocomilk ( + 4 Kukuru Bean + Selbina Milk + Maple Sugar + Distilled Water + Honey)

Many cooks opted to this synth only when Windurst had control of Elshimo Lowlands, so they could have an easier access to the vendor.  Chocomilk does not stack.  It sells decent to the Auction House but does not move fast enough.  However, the ingredients are relatively cheap and the vendor does buy this for a decent price.

Level 74-80: Shallops Tropicale ( + Kazham Pineapple + 2 Shall Shells + Selbina Butter + Bay Leaves + Rock Salt + Distilled Water)

If you opt to skill on this item, proceed with caution.  When Windurst is 1st in CQ, this item is available from a vendor at a price usually cheaper than the AH in Jeuno to Windurst citizens.  When that happens, the turnover rate at the Jeuno AH (along with the price) will drop.  Also, you must be careful in obtaining shall shells.  They are the cheapest in San d'Oria and expensive everywhere else.  You may buy them from the guild shop in Bibiki Bay but the item may be camped.  Sometimes you can find singles of shall shells cheaper on AH than the guild shop, but it is not as likely.  Shallops Tropicale does not stack, and you will have to wait on the AH for both shall shells and for this item to sell.

Level 74-80: Orange Kuchen ( + 2 Saruta Orange + Bird Egg + San d'Oria Flour + Maple Sugar + Selbina Butter)

This does not stack.  Even though the ingredients are cheap, vendors do not offer much gil when it is sold to the vendor.  You may find more profit on the Auction House, but the sales may be too slow to be worth the trouble.  If Windurst is 1st in CQ, it will be even harder to sell this item through AH.

Level 74-81: Panamas au Lait ( + 2 Panamas + Selbina Milk + Honey)

If Windurst has control of Elshimo Lowlands, you should be making this item.  If you have both +1 items, you can start as early as 72.  This item does not stack, but sells very high profit margins on the Auction House and moves relatively quickly.  This drink is often used for BCNM fights and for some soloing.

Level 75-82: Emperor Roe ( + Emperor Fish)

Emperor Fish costs about 10k a pop, does not stack, and can be a rare find on the Auction House.  It requires a fisherman with Adept skill to fish this out in Jugner Forest.  Save all Emperor Roe for a future synth.

Level 75-83: Chamomile Tea ( + 2 Chamomile + Honey + Distilled Water)

This is a very brutal synth.  The bulk of your losses will be on the fire crystals.  This item does not stack, not worth putting on the Auction House, and only sells to the vendor for 100 gil.  Yet, you may have to suck up on several levels of cooking on this item if no other options exist.

Guild Test Item:  Whitefish Stew.  As long as Windurst is not in 3rd place in CQ, you can buy this item from the vendor near the cooking guild.

Level 80-86: Marron Glance ( + 2 Chestnut + Maple Sugar + Grape Juice)

Chestnuts are available through a regional vendor at all times.  To save time and dark crystals, get your mule to Lower Jeuno to camp the vendor that sells Grape Juice.  The cost per synth is approximately 2k gil and this item sells for 4500 to 6000 gil at the Auction House.  This item also has an high turnover rate at the Auction House if you set it at the right price.  The only drawback: Marron Glance does not stack.  This synth will not yield the HQ2 result like the other synth that requires Pattiser key item, but you do not have to camp the hard-to-find baking soda.  If you get the fluke HQ1 result, it sells over 50k at AH in Jeuno.

Level 86-90: Rolanberry Pie x4 ( + Rolanberry + Maple Sugar + Gelatin + Selbina Milk + Pie Dough + San d'Oria Flour + Bird Egg)

Before leaving Jeuno for San d'Oria, buy several stacks of Rolanberry from the vendor in Port Jeuno.  Gelatin is obtained only through bonecrafting, so you should find a means of obtaining it.  The other ingredients are obtained from vendor.  The pies sell about 11k per stack on the Auction House with relatively high turnover.  It costs about 2k per synth, which puts the cost of 6k per stack.  Pies sell much higher in San d'Oria than in Jeuno.

Level 86-90: Vampire Juice ( + Red Terrapin + Rolanberry + Mithran Tomato +  Faerie Apple)

If you are an hardcore fisherman and got tons of unused Red Terrapin lying around, you might as well send some to the cooking mule.  If you do not, you are better off sticking to Rolanberry Pie.  Vampire Juice does not stack and you are better off selling it to the vendor.

Guild Test Item: Seafood Stew.  Once you return to Windurst to trade this, the final cap has been lifted.  Here, you will really need some up-front capital in order to get through the final 10 levels.

Level 90-92: Flint Caviar x3 ( + Emperor Roe + Rock Salt)

Emperor Roe is obtained by desynthing Emperor Fish.  Emperor Fish is 9k to 10k each, does not stack, and can be a very hard find at the Auction House.  Save the Flint Caviar for later.

Level 90-93: Flounder Meuniere ( + Olive Oil + San d'Oria Flour + Rock Salt + Selbina Butter + Selbina Milk + Black Pepper + Black Sole)

You should be able to find all these ingredients from a vendor, aside from the Black Sole.  Black Sole can be found at the Auction House about 40k per stack, although this will vary between servers.  If you have the fishing skill (80+), this isn't a bad synth because you can start fishing out Black Sole in Jueno.  This item sells for 10k each at the Auction House, which results in a 5k profit per synth, but this item does not stack and the turnover rate is not as high as Tonosama Rice Balls.  You might want to consider to store some on mules for future guild point use.

Level 90-94: Tonosama Rice Ball x2 ( + Flint Caviar + Pantam Kelp + Tarutaru Rice + Rock Salt + Distilled Water)

The nasty part of this is the Rice, which is only obtainable through Gardening.  If you gardened it, you will save yourself a lot of money.  Pantam Kelp is found very cheap via fishing guild in Windurst or the AH.  The results can be sold at the Auction House about 12k per stack with moderate turnover, so you will make most of your money back.

Level 94-95: Rice Dumpling x3 ( + Coral Fungus + Sticky Rice + Maple Sugar + Bamboo Stick + Dhalmel Meat + Distilled Water + Rock Salt).  Level 15 woodworking sub required.

Before you can start making this, you will need to get woodworking to level 10 before you can continue.  Also, Coral Fungus is a very hard find as you must get it from Gardening as nobody ever controls the Movalpolis Region.  Sticky Rice does not stack and you have to get it from the NPC in Lower Jeuno.  Rice Dumpling breaks even at the Auction House with moderate turnover.

Level 95-97: Tavnazian Taco x6 ( + Tavnazian Salad + Salsa + 2 Tortillas)

You will need a lot of capital for this synth.  The salads are found at the AH and does not stack.  They sell between 25k to 30k each.  A stack of Tacos can range anywhere from 40k to 50k.  You will lose some money in the end, but you will make most of what you spent back.  Tacos have a high turnover rate at the Auction House.

Level 97-99: Sweet Rice Cake x9 ( + Fresh Mugwort + Gardenia + Sticky Rice + Maple Sugar + Cinnamon + Distilled Water)

The brutal part of this recipe is the Fresh Mugwort.  It is only obtainable through harvesting in Giddeus, cost about 225k per stack at the Auction House, and is a rare find.  You will need about 1M worth of Fresh Mugwort for the next two levels at the minimum.  Gardenia is found from vendor in Norg and it does not stack, so you will have to send a character to buy the item and send it.  Sticky Rice does not stack either, so you will have to camp the vendor in Jeuno when you make this item.  The nastiest part of this recipe is that Sweet Rice Cake only sells for 5k per stack at the Auction House, so you are talking about a 15k/loss per stack.  Breaks involving the loss of Fresh Mugwort can be extremely costly to take.  You may want to hold on to these cakes for future guild point item use.

Level 99-100: Cursed Soup ( + Periskos + Kitron + Royal Jelly + Distilled Water + Honey)

The brutal part is that Royal Jelly is RareEx and found only off bees and NM Crawlers in Crawler's Nest.  This is what makes Cursed Soup the very slow and time consuming synth that it is.  Unless you get your cooking mule to a level 20 job with a chocobo pass and someone to solo Death Jackets, you might as well forget this item.  Periskos is another expensive item only obtained by gardening, and can cost up to 20k a pop.  Cursed Soup is sold to the vendor at a loss.

Level 99-100: Red Curry ( + Dragon Meat + Curry Powder + Coriander + San d'Oria Carrot + Kazham Peppers + Distilled Water)

You will need a lot of up-front capital for the Dragon Meat.  On some servers, Dragon Meat is 150k a pop.  Dragon Meat is often a rare find, but not as rare as Royal Jelly.  The rest of the ingredients can be found at vendors.  Red Curry sells on the Auction House at break even rates, however, but breaks involving the meat can be very costly.