Maki Roll Mystery Solved: 7 Ways to Get This Elusive Stardew Dish

Maki Roll Mystery Solved: 7 Ways to Get This Elusive Stardew Dish

Looking for a maki roll to complete your Chef’s Bundle or just want to explore Stardew’s cooking system? I’ve been there – spending seasons waiting for that recipe to appear! Good news: you have multiple options right now. The fastest method is checking Gus’s shop at the Stardrop Saloon daily (he sells both the ready-made dish for 300g and the recipe for 300g), but you can also jump straight to all seven methods if you’re in a hurry.

Maki rolls are one of those deceptively simple items that can become frustratingly difficult to obtain if you don’t know where to look. As a player who’s been farming in Stardew Valley since 2016, I’ve helped countless friends through their “where the heck do I get a maki roll?” crisis moments. This guide breaks down every possible way to get your hands on this sushi delicacy, whether you need it for the Community Center, gift-giving, or just to complete your cooking collection.

Getting the Maki Roll for Community Center Completion

The number one reason most players search for maki roll information is to complete the Chef’s Bundle in the Community Center. This bundle requires one maki roll, and it’s often one of the last items players need to turn in. Let’s explore all your options for obtaining this elusive dish.

Quickest Methods to Obtain a Maki Roll {#seven-ways}

If you’re in a rush to complete your Community Center and don’t care about learning the recipe, these methods will get you a ready-made maki roll the fastest:

Buying from Vendors vs. Cooking Yourself

Direct Purchase Options:

• Stardrop Saloon: Gus occasionally sells maki rolls as a rotating stock item. Check daily, as the inventory changes. Price: 300g.
• Krobus’s Shop: On Saturdays, Krobus has a chance to sell maki rolls in the Sewers (you’ll need the Rusty Key from Gunther to access this area).
• Traveling Cart: The traveling merchant in Cindersnap Forest (available Fridays and Sundays) sometimes sells maki rolls, though at a premium price.

Cook It Yourself (If You Already Have the Recipe):
If you already have the recipe, cooking it yourself is straightforward and potentially more economical:

1. Ensure you have a kitchen in your farmhouse (requires at least the first house upgrade from Robin)

2. Gather the ingredients:

   • Any fish (1) - Even the cheapest fish works
   • Seaweed (1) - Caught while fishing in ocean waters
   • Rice (1) - Purchased from Pierre’s General Store for 200g

3. Access your kitchen and select the maki roll recipe from your cookbook

Comparison: Which is Faster?

• If you already have seaweed and a cheap fish: Cooking is faster
• If you’re still early game without house upgrades: Buying is your only option
• If you check the Saloon daily: You might find it within 3-5 days
• If you’re luck-optimized (with Lucky Lunch, etc.): Shopping odds improve

The Linus Mail Method

Linus, the tent-dwelling forager, occasionally sends players gifts in the mail once you reach sufficient friendship levels with him. These gifts can include maki rolls, making this a passive method to potentially receive one:

1. Build friendship with Linus to at least 7+ hearts
2. Check your mailbox daily
3. Hope for RNG to be in your favor

This method isn’t reliable for time-sensitive needs, but it’s worth noting if you’ve been befriending Linus anyway.

Friendship Building with Linus:

• Linus loves foraged items, especially Wild Horseradish, Cactus Fruit, Coconut, and Yam
• He also appreciates Dish o’ The Sea, Blueberry Tart, and Sashimi
• Talk to him daily for an additional 20 friendship points

Checking Garbage Cans

One often-overlooked method for obtaining a maki roll is checking the garbage can outside the Stardrop Saloon. This method requires no money and minimal time investment:

1. Check the garbage can outside the Stardrop Saloon daily
2. Best time to check is after 12:00 PM when the Saloon is open
3. There’s a small chance to find a maki roll (higher chance on days when it’s on the Saloon’s menu)

Garbage Can Etiquette:

• Be careful about being seen by villagers when checking garbage cans - they’ll lose friendship points if they catch you
• If you have the Trash Bear perk from completing the Community Center, you won’t lose friendship points
• No need to check other garbage cans - the Saloon one is the only one that can contain food items like maki roll

Learning the Maki Roll Recipe

If you prefer to learn how to make maki rolls yourself (which is more economical in the long run), here are all the ways to obtain the recipe:

Queen of Sauce TV Schedule

The primary way to learn cooking recipes in Stardew Valley is through the “Queen of Sauce” TV show. For maki rolls specifically:

Original Broadcast:

• Summer 21, Year 1
• Summer 21, Year 3, Year 5, etc. (odd-numbered years)

Queen of Sauce Reruns:

• Every Wednesday, the Queen of Sauce airs reruns of recipes you haven’t learned yet
• If you missed the original broadcast, keep checking on Wednesdays

Viewing Schedule Table:

To maximize your chances of catching a maki roll rerun, make sure to:

1. Watch Queen of Sauce every Sunday to learn new recipes
2. Watch every Wednesday for reruns of missed recipes
3. Be patient - the rerun system prioritizes recipes you haven’t learned yet

Buying the Recipe from Gus

The most reliable method to obtain the maki roll recipe is to purchase it directly from Gus at the Stardrop Saloon:

1. Visit the Stardrop Saloon during business hours (12 PM to 12 AM)
2. Talk to Gus (behind the counter)
3. Purchase the maki roll recipe for 300g

Note: The recipe is available year-round regardless of friendship level, season, or year. This price was reduced from 1,500g in update 1.4, making it much more accessible to early-game players.

If you don’t see the recipe in Gus’s inventory, make sure you’re talking directly to Gus and not interacting with the bar counter. The recipe appears alongside his other food items.

Recipe Requirements and Kitchen Setup

Once you have the recipe, you’ll need the proper setup to cook maki rolls:

Kitchen Requirements:

1. Upgraded farmhouse with kitchen (first house upgrade from Robin - 10,000g plus 450 wood)
2. Alternative: A Cookout Kit (crafted with 15 wood, 10 fiber, 3 coal, and 1 hardwood) - only available after update 1.5

Ingredient Sources:

• Any Fish: Can be caught anywhere or purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop
• Seaweed: Caught while fishing in ocean waters (any season) or found in fish ponds with specific fish
• Rice: Purchased from Pierre’s General Store for 200g each

Cooking Interface Navigation:

1. Interact with your kitchen stove
2. Navigate through your recipe list (alphabetical order)
3. Select “Maki Roll” and confirm if you have all ingredients
4. The cooking process is instant

Important Note for Modded Games:
If you’re using the “Love of Cooking” mod, you’ll need to upgrade your frying pan at Clint’s to cook recipes with multiple ingredients like maki roll.

Gathering Maki Roll Ingredients

Now that you know how to get the recipe, let’s look at the most efficient ways to gather each ingredient:

Where to Find Seaweed

Seaweed is the most specialized ingredient for maki rolls. Here’s how to obtain it:

Fishing in Ocean Waters:

• Cast your line in the ocean at either the Beach or on Ginger Island
• Seaweed is a trash item, so you don’t need to hit any specific fishing minigame targets
• Higher fishing levels don’t increase seaweed chances
• Using a Training Rod can actually help, as it reduces your ability to catch actual fish
• Average catch rate: Approximately 1 seaweed per 6-8 casts

Fish Pond Method:
If you have access to fish ponds (unlocked at Fishing level 2), certain fish can produce seaweed:

1. Create a fish pond (requires 5,000g, 200 stone, 5 seaweed, 5 green algae)
2. Stock it with Midnight Carp, Super Cucumber, or Spook Fish
3. Collect seaweed as one of the possible pond products
4. Pond population affects product variety - keep at least 5 fish in the pond

Beach Foraging:

• During certain days on the Beach, seaweed can sometimes be found washed up on shore
• This is the least reliable method, but it’s free and requires no energy

Winter Dig Spots:

• In Winter, dig spots on the Beach can yield seaweed
• Use the hoe on the worm/artifact spots that appear

Buying or Growing Rice

Rice is straightforward to obtain but has a few nuances:

Purchasing Rice:

• Available year-round at Pierre’s General Store for 200g
• JojaMart also sells it for 250g (not recommended unless it’s Wednesday and Pierre’s is closed)

Growing Rice:
With update 1.5, you can grow your own rice:

1. Purchase rice shoots from Pierre’s (Spring only, 40g each)
2. Plant in Spring (takes 8 days to mature)
3. Harvest rice
4. Process in a Mill to create usable Rice
   • Mill can be crafted (25 stone, 10 hardwood, 10 cloth) or purchased from Robin (2,500g, 150 stone, 50 hardwood, 5 cloth)

Rice Calculation:

• Cost of purchased rice: 200g per rice
• Cost of grown rice: 40g per seed + processing time
• Time investment: 8 growing days + mill processing

If you’re only making one maki roll, buying is more time-efficient. If you plan to make many, growing your own is more cost-effective.

Best Fish to Use

Since the recipe calls for “any fish,” you should optimize by using the least valuable fish you have available:

Most Economical Fish Choices:

• Anchovy (30g base price)
• Sardine (40g base price)
• Herring (30g base price)
• Chub (50g base price)
• Carp (30g base price)

Fish to Avoid Using:

• Legendary fish (cannot be replaced)
• High-value fish like Pufferfish, Albacore, Sturgeon
• Fish needed for other bundles you haven’t completed yet
• Fish needed for upcoming quests or tailoring

Fish Value Analysis:
When deciding which fish to use in your maki roll, consider:

1. Base selling price (lower is better for maki roll ingredients)
2. Difficulty to obtain (use common fish rather than rare ones)
3. Alternative uses (some fish have specific recipe or tailoring uses)

Advanced Maki Roll Strategies

Now that we’ve covered the basics of obtaining maki rolls, let’s dive into some more advanced strategies and uses for this versatile item.

Profit Analysis of Making vs. Buying

Is it worth making maki rolls as a profit-generating activity? Let’s break down the numbers:

Cost Breakdown and Selling Prices

Ingredient Costs:

• Any Fish: 30g-1,500g (using cheapest fish = 30g)
• Seaweed: 20g value (fishing effort cost)
• Rice: 200g (store-bought)
• Total Cost: 250g minimum (with cheapest fish)

Selling Prices:

• Base Price: 100g
• With Artisan Profession (+40%): 140g
• With Qi Seasoning: 220g - 330g (depending on quality)

Profit/Loss Analysis:

• Standard Method: 250g cost → 100g sell = 150g LOSS
• With Artisan: 250g cost → 140g sell = 110g LOSS
• With Qi Seasoning (Iridium): 250g cost → 330g sell = 80g PROFIT

Note: Maki Rolls are only profitable when:

1. Using rice made in a mill (rather than store-bought)
2. Using fish valued below 100g
3. Ideally combined with Qi Seasoning for maximum profit

Time Investment Consideration:
Even when profitable, the time investment for making maki rolls rarely makes them worth producing solely for profit. There are far more lucrative cooking recipes and farming activities available.

Using Maki Roll for Gifting

Maki rolls make excellent gifts for most villagers in Stardew Valley, with a few notable exceptions:

Villager Gift Reactions

Love: None

Like: Abigail, Alex, Caroline, Clint, Demetrius, Dwarf, Elliott, George, Gus, Haley, Harvey, Jas, Jodi, Kent, Leah, Lewis, Linus, Marnie, Maru, Pam, Penny, Pierre, Robin, Sam, Sandy, Sebastian, Shane, Vincent, Wizard (most villagers)

Neutral: Willy

Dislike: Krobus, Leo

Hate: Emily, Evelyn

Gift Value:

• “Like” reaction = +45 friendship points
• Can be gifted twice per week per villager
• Maximum friendship gain: 90 points per week per villager

Best Recipients for Friendship Building

Since almost everyone likes maki rolls, they make a convenient universal gift. However, some villagers benefit more than others from receiving them:

Strategic Gift Recipients:

1. Villagers with limited “Like” items: Clint, George, Pam
2. Villagers with difficult friendship quests: Sebastian, Haley
3. Villagers with useful friendship rewards: Linus (Wild Bait recipe at 4 hearts)

Gift Efficiency:
While maki rolls are convenient, they’re not the most efficient gift choice due to:

1. Ingredient cost and preparation time
2. No “Loved” gift status for any villager
3. Existence of universal likes (e.g., Daffodils) that are easier to obtain

For maximum friendship efficiency, reserve maki rolls for:

• Emergency gifting when you have no better options
• Group gatherings where you need multiple gifts
• Villagers whose loved gifts are particularly difficult to obtain

Other Uses for Maki Roll

Beyond the Community Center and gifting, maki rolls have a few specialized uses:

Tailoring with Maki Roll

The maki roll can be used in the sewing machine to create clothing:

Shirt Creation:

1. Place Cloth in the feed of the Sewing Machine
2. Place Maki Roll in the spool
3. Create a Dark-Gray Shirt with a unique pattern

Dye Potential:
Maki Roll functions as a black dye when used in the spool with a dyeable clothing item in the feed, allowing you to:

1. Dye hats, pants, and shirts black
2. Create custom outfit combinations
3. Match clothing to your farm aesthetic

Fashion Strategy:
Consider saving your first maki roll for the Community Center, and subsequent ones for tailoring if you’re interested in fashion. The dark-gray shirt has a distinctive pattern that some players collect.

Energy and Health Benefits

Like all cooked dishes in Stardew Valley, maki rolls provide energy and health restoration:

Recovery Values:

• Energy Restoration: +100 Energy
• Health Restoration: +45 Health

Comparative Value:
Compared to other dishes requiring similar ingredients or effort:

When to Consume:

• Maki rolls provide decent energy but no buffs
• Best used for general energy restoration
• Not ideal for mining or combat (no buffs)
• Better alternatives exist for pure energy/health restoration

Troubleshooting Maki Roll Issues

Sometimes players encounter problems with obtaining or cooking maki rolls. Let’s address the most common issues:

“I Can’t Find the Recipe” Solutions

One of the most common problems is missing the Queen of Sauce broadcast and then struggling to find the recipe:

Understanding Queen of Sauce Reruns

If you missed the original broadcast (Summer 21, Year 1), you have several backup options:

Queen of Sauce Rerun System:

1. Every Wednesday features a rerun of a recipe you haven’t learned
2. The system prioritizes recipes you don’t know yet
3. If you’ve missed multiple recipes, it may take several Wednesdays before maki roll appears

Rerun Optimization Strategy:
To maximize your chances of getting the maki roll recipe on a Wednesday rerun:

1. Learn as many other recipes as possible (from other sources)
2. Watch Queen of Sauce every Sunday to reduce the pool of unknown recipes
3. Check every Wednesday without fail

Alternative Solutions:
If you’re impatient with the rerun system:

1. Buy the recipe from Gus for 300g (most reliable)
2. Check the Traveling Cart each Friday and Sunday
3. Focus on finding a pre-made maki roll instead of the recipe

Resetting the Day:
If you’re truly desperate, you can employ this advanced strategy:

1. Check if Wednesday’s Queen of Sauce features a rerun
2. If it’s not maki roll, exit to title without saving
3. Restart the day and check again (the rerun selection is determined when the day starts)
4. Repeat until you get the maki roll recipe
5. Note: This is time-consuming and considered by some to be an exploit

Cooking Problems and Solutions

Some players have the recipe but encounter issues when trying to cook the maki roll:

Kitchen Requirements

The most basic requirement for cooking is having a kitchen:

No Kitchen Solutions:

• If you don’t have a kitchen, you’ll need to upgrade your house (10,000g + 450 wood)
• After update 1.5, you can craft a Cookout Kit as a temporary solution
• If resources are tight, focus on finding a pre-made maki roll instead

Cooking Interface Navigation:
Sometimes players have trouble finding the recipe in their cookbook:

1. The cookbook is alphabetically ordered
2. Maki Roll should be under “M”
3. If you don’t see it, confirm you’ve actually learned the recipe
4. Check your “Collections” tab to verify which recipes you know

Ingredient Confusion:
Ensure you’re using the correct ingredients:

1. Any fish will work (even legendary fish, though not recommended)
2. Seaweed specifically (not green algae)
3. Rice (not rice shoots)

Mod Compatibility Issues

Players using mods sometimes encounter unique problems with maki rolls:

Common Mod Issues:

1. Love of Cooking mod: Requires upgraded frying pan to cook with more than one ingredient
2. Expanded mods: May alter recipe requirements (adding sashimi instead of fish)
3. Content Patcher mods: Can change where recipes are sold or their prices

Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Check mod documentation for recipe changes
2. Temporarily disable mods to test vanilla functionality
3. Update mods to latest versions
4. Check mod forums for known conflicts

Specific Mod Solutions:

• Love of Cooking: Visit Clint to upgrade your frying pan
• Stardew Valley Expanded: May need to look for recipe at Gus’s main counter, not the bar
• Custom Cooking: May need to enable vanilla recipes in mod config

Custom Maki Roll Strategies for Different Playstyles

Different players approach Stardew Valley with different goals and playstyles. Here are customized maki roll strategies for various player types:

For Community Center Speedrunners

If you’re trying to complete the Community Center as quickly as possible:

1. Mark your calendar for Summer 21, Year 1 (Queen of Sauce)
2. Save 300g by early Summer to buy the recipe from Gus if you miss the TV show
3. Start ocean fishing early to stockpile seaweed
4. Prioritize the first house upgrade to get a kitchen

For Profit-Focused Farmers

If your main goal is maximizing profits:

1. Ignore maki rolls for profit - they’re rarely worth the effort
2. Get one for the Community Center, then focus on more profitable dishes
3. Consider making them only if you have excess seaweed and cheap fish
4. If using the Qi Seasoning method, compare profits against using the seasoning on other items

For Completionist Players

If you want to master everything Stardew Valley offers:

1. Learn the recipe as early as possible
2. Make at least one for the Community Center
3. Create the dark-gray shirt using the sewing machine
4. Gift one to every villager to observe their reactions
5. Display one in a sign or end table in your house

For Role-Play/Immersion Players

If you enjoy role-playing and immersion in the game world:

1. Create a “Sushi Night” ritual in your game
2. Cook maki rolls on rainy days or festival evenings
3. Gift them to villagers you’re attempting to romance
4. Pair with a decorative end table and potted plant for a “dining nook” in your house
5. Combine with green tea and rice pudding for a themed meal

Maki Roll in Multiplayer Context

Playing Stardew Valley with friends adds unique considerations for maki roll acquisition:

Shared vs. Individual Progress

In multiplayer farms:

1. The Queen of Sauce broadcasts are available to all players
2. If one player learns the recipe, others still need to learn it individually
3. House upgrades are per-player, so each farmer needs their own kitchen
4. Completed Community Center bundles benefit everyone

Cooperative Strategies

Working together for maki rolls:

1. Assign one player to focus on fishing for seaweed
2. Have another player save money for rice purchases
3. A third player can handle house upgrades and cooking
4. Coordinate gifting strategies to maximize friendship with Linus

Action Steps Recap

Whether you need a maki roll for the Community Center or just want to complete your cookbook, your best bet is checking Gus’s shop at the Stardrop Saloon for both the ready-made dish and recipe (300g each), watching Queen of Sauce on Summer 21 (Year 1/3/5) or Wednesdays for reruns, and building friendship with Linus for potential mail gifts.

Maki Roll Patch History