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Building relationships isn't always easy as a newcomer. As a stranger in a small town, it takes a lot of work to become part of the fabric of the community. This is one of the main objectives in Stardew Valley. Making friendly conversation helps, but the best way to make new friends (and maybe more) is to express generosity through gifts.

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Every villager has unique likes and dislikes, but some items make great gifts for nearly everyone. For players who are trying to build friendships with all villagers or find a special someone to marry, here's a guide to gifts that are hard to find.

Updated January 13, 2022 by Demaris Oxman: Over the years and throughout all the exciting updates, Stardew Valley has never lost its charm; in fact, it's only grown more engaging and brought in more fans over the years. As this ever-expanding player base immerses themselves in this charming game, players continue to seek out ways to make connections with the town's residents. As they go from neighbors to friends to perhaps romantic partners, generosity allows players to express how they feel. Though every character in Stardew Valley has their own favorite things, a few items are appreciated by nearly everyone. With that in mind, this list has been updated to include a few more of the best gifts in Stardew Valley, as well as more tips on how to obtain them.

15 Wine

Stardew Valley Kegs Inside Barn

Many Artisan Goods are loved or liked by Pelican Town's residents, but of the options available, Wine is one of the easiest and cheapest to produce en masse. Create it by placing any type of fruit into a Keg, which will ferment it into this beloved beverage. Players can craft Kegs starting at farming level 8, using a Copper Bar, an Iron Bar, one Oak Resin, and 30 Wood. For gifting purposes, Salmonberries and Blackberries are the best choices for wine-making, as they are plentiful in Spring and Fall respectively.

Note that not all villagers enjoy Wine, however. Alcohol is not for children, so avoid giving this gift to Leo, Jas, or Vincent. Additionally, it seems that Penny and Sebastian aren't big drinkers, as they count Wine (and all other alcoholic beverages) among their Hated gifts. On the other hand, Harvey and Leah count it among their Loved gifts, and all other villagers like it.

14 Cooked Dishes

The cooking menu in Stardew Valley

Just like in real life, a home-cooked meal is a great way to win someone over in Stardew Valley. Any dish cooked in the farmhouse kitchen (except for Bread, Fried Egg, Seafoam Pudding, and Strange Bun) will endear the player to villagers. To cook, players must purchase at least one farmhouse upgrade from Robin to add a kitchen to their house; alternatively, they can build a campfire to cook recipes outdoors.

Bear in mind, though, that many villagers have their own dislikes for specific meals. Sebastian, for example, turns down anything with eggs, while Emily and Evelyn aren't big seafood fans. Conversely, Willy is unique in his dislike of any cooked dishes that don't contain fish.

13 Truffle Oil

Stardew Valley artisan machines on the farm

In the real world, truffle oil adds a dash of luxurious flavor to any dish — and apparently, it's much the same in Stardew Valley, as the majority of villagers count this item among their favorite things. It is appreciated by almost everyone, and Harvey has a particular love for it. The only villagers who don't enjoy Truffle Oil are Sebastian, Jas, and Vincent.

To obtain this gourmet food item, players must purchase some pigs to live in their barn, who will sniff out and dig up truffles on the farm. Players can then collect these and put them into an Oil Maker, which will produce Truffle Oil in roughly 6 in-game hours. The Oil Maker can be crafted starting at Farming Level 8, and requires 50 Slime, 20 Hardwood, and 1 Gold Bar to craft.

12 Life Elixir

Life Elixir crafting recipe

The endlessly useful Life Elixir becomes craftable at Combat Level 2, and requires a Purple Mushroom, Red Mushroom, Chanterelle, and Morel to brew up. Not only does it restore a vast amount of health, but it'll score players decent friendship points with everyone except Krobus, Leo, and Willy.

However, some players may not be too keen on the idea of crafting such a useful item only to give it away. Since some of the ingredients can be tricky to gather en masse, many prefer to keep their life elixirs on hand for dangerous dungeon delves. Still, players with a Mushroom Cave will likely have plenty of access to fungi, and can thus craft plenty of elixirs both for themselves and others.

11 Gemstones

Gemstones in the Stardew Valley museum

Similar to flowers, gemstones have a spot on most villagers' list of liked gifts. They're also easy to find: Amethyst and Topaz have a chance to appear on any level of the mines, and the deeper the player digs, the greater the chance to find more and more precious stones such as Rubies, Emeralds, and Diamonds. Furthermore, if the player can build a few Crystalariums, they'll have an endless supply of gifts.

A couple of villagers, though, don't count gemstones among their favorite things. If the player wants to win over Pierre, Leah, or Linus, a different gift is the way to go.

10 Jelly

Preserves jars

Once players learn how to craft Preserves Jars, they can toss in any type of fruit. After a few days, the fruit will have turned into Jelly for players to collect. These fetch a decent price depending on the fruit, but they also make great gifts. The recipe for a Preserves Jar is acquired at Farming Level 4, and takes 50 Stone, 40 Wood, and 8 Coal.

Salmonberry Jelly is a great choice for gifting, since it's one of the least valuable varieties and Salmonberries are plentiful in Spring. Once it's collected, any villager except Sebastian will be glad to receive a jar of homemade jam.

9 Flowers

A field of planted flowers in Stardew Valley

Easy to come by, flowers make good gifts for just about anyone. In spring, plant Blue Jazz and Tulips on the farm; in summer, plant Summer Spangles and Sunflowers, and forage for Sweet Peas. Fall is also great for Sunflowers, as well as Fairy Roses. In wintertime, forage for Crocuses.

Like gemstones, this one carries exceptions, so choose different gifts to gain friendship with George, Sebastian, or Clint. Also, keep in mind that Poppies don't share the universally liked trait with the rest of the floral family; in fact, they are a universally hated gift.

8 Honey

A honey farm in Stardew Valley

Image via Reddit user Magoner

Like flowers, honey is easy to cultivate. The crafting recipe for a Bee House is learned at level 3 farming, and requires common resources to build: 40 wood, 8 coal, 1 iron bar, and 1 maple syrup. Craft a few, place them around the farm, and wait for the bees to do their work.

If flowers are planted within five tiles of the house, the honey will be labeled as "Sunflower Honey," "Tulip Honey," or whatever flower whose nectar the bees have been sipping on. If not, it will be "Wild Honey." Once harvested, any type of Honey will be well-received by any villager except for Maru or Sebastian.

7 Maple Syrup

Maple syrup in Stardew Valley

Hardly anyone could say no to a jug of real, fresh maple syrup to pour over their pancakes. Though it has its uses in crafting, most players don't need to stock up on it in bulk, making it a good choice to give as a present.

At Foraging Level 3, players unlock the Tapper recipe. Craft a few tappers (using 2 copper bars and 40 wood each) and place them on maple trees throughout the forest or on the farm. Check them every nine days to collect the maple syrup they produce. Every villager except Maru counts Maple Syrup among their favorite things, as it appears on their lists of Liked gifts.

6 Fruit Tree Fruit

A cherry tree, orange tree, and apple tree

There's no going wrong with a homegrown apple, peach, or other orchard fruit: Every villager likes them, without exceptions. Though they take patience to grow, fruit trees produce daily while in season, making them an excellent source of universally-liked gifts.

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Saplings for all the universally-liked fruit trees are found in Pierre's shop year-round. Because they take 28 days to mature, it helps to plan ahead. For example, plant an orange tree no later than the first day of spring, and reap the rewards all summer long.

Every villager at least likes these fruits (except for mango and banana, which most often rank as Neutral gifts.) Among the orchard fruits, a few rank among certain villagers' Loves:

  • Robin: loves Peach
  • Gus: loves Orange
  • Elliott: loves Pomegranate

5 Prismatic Shard

Stardew Valley player holding a Prismatic Shard

Every villager except Haley loves this rare treasure. There are several places to look for one, including rainbow trout fish ponds, mines, and Omni Geodes. Though the chances to uncover Prismatic Shards are always slim, every player will find a few eventually.

Skull Cavern is the best place to find Prismatic Shards. Its monsters all have a small chance to drop one, and the deeper the player delves, the more likely they are to find Iridium Nodes or Mystic Stones, which can contain this rare gem. However, players are often loath to give away Prismatic Shards, considering their high value and many in-game uses.

4 Rabbit's Foot

A Stardew Valley coop, filled with items dropped by animals

Image via Reddit user AsthmaticAudino

All characters except for Penny love this good-luck token. If the player purchases a Deluxe Coop upgrade from Robin and a rabbit to live in it from Marnie, happy bunnies have a chance to leave a rabbit's foot on the coop floor.

Considering their limited practical use and relative ease to obtain, the rabbit's foot makes a fantastic gift. To increase the chances of receiving one, make sure any kept rabbits are fed and petted daily to increase friendship with them.

3 Magic Rock Candy

Stardew Valley's desert trader

Magic Rock Candy is also universally loved, and this time there are no exceptions. Present this gift to any villager, and watch their faces light up! It's no wonder, considering this item increases Mining, Luck, Speed, Attack, and Defense.

However, acquiring this item isn't easy. One is received as a reward after donating 90 items to the museum, or it can be dropped incredibly rarely by Haunted Skulls. The trader in Calico Desert sells one every Thursday for the steep price of three Prismatic Shards. After going to so much trouble, most players prefer to keep this item for its incredible buffs.

2 Golden Pumpkin

Stardew Valley player in the Halloween maze

The Golden Pumpkin is another favorite thing among Stardew Valley characters, appearing on every villager's Loved list. Since its only practical use is in tailoring, it's a great choice to win some friendship points with a bachelor or bachelorette who's caught the player's eye.

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Much like the Magic Rock Candy, the downside to the Golden Pumpkin lies with its rarity. However, one can be found every year at the end of the Spirit's Eve festival maze — simply attend the festival every year to snag one. It also has a small chance (3.7%) to be found inside an Artifact Trove.

1 Pearl

Stardew Valley submarine and mermaid show

Like the previous two items, this gift is adored by each and every villager. There are several fixed events and locations where the player can acquire a pearl:

  • Correctly playing the mermaid's song at the Night Market (once per save file)
  • Digging at the spot marked in Journal Scrap 6
  • Willy will send one to the player after they fill a fishing pond with 10 crabs

To increase opportunities for collecting pearls, build a fish pond and fill it with blobfish (caught in the submarine at the Night Market). With nine or more happy fish in the pond, a pearl has a small chance to appear in the pond's chum bucket.

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