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 inStardew 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 aspecial someone to marry, here’s a guide to gifts that are hard to find.
Updated July 05, 2025 by Demaris Oxman:Over the years and throughout all the exciting updates,Stardew Valleyhas 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 inStardew Valleyhas 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 inStardew Valley, as well as more tips on how to obtain them.
15Wine
Many Artisan Goods are loved or liked by Pelican Town’s residents, but of the options available,Wineis one of the easiest and cheapest to produce en masse. Create it byplacing any type of fruit into a Keg, which will ferment it into this beloved beverage. Players can craft Kegs starting at farming level 8, usinga 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.
14Cooked Dishes
Just like in real life,a home-cooked mealis a great way to win someone over in Stardew Valley. Any dish cooked in the farmhouse kitchen (except forBread,Fried Egg,Seafoam Pudding, andStrange 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, thatmany villagers have their own dislikesfor 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 thatdon’tcontain fish.
13Truffle Oil
In the real world, truffle oil adds a dash of luxurious flavor to any dish — and apparently, it’s much the same inStardew Valley, as the majority of villagers count this item among their favorite things. It is appreciated by almost everyone, andHarvey has a particular love for it. The only villagers who don’t enjoyTruffle OilareSebastian, 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 andput them into anOil Maker, which will produce Truffle Oil in roughly 6 in-game hours. The Oil Maker can be crafted starting at Farming Level 8, and requires50 Slime, 20 Hardwood, and 1 Gold Barto craft.
12Life Elixir
The endlessly usefulLife Elixirbecomes craftable at Combat Level 2, and requires aPurple Mushroom, Red Mushroom, Chanterelle, and Morelto brew up. Not only does it restore a vast amount of health, but it’ll score players decent friendship points witheveryone 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 Cavewill likely have plenty of access to fungi, and can thus craft plenty of elixirs both for themselves and others.
11Gemstones
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 builda 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 overPierre, Leah, or Linus, a different gift is the way to go.
10Jelly
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 takes50 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 Sebastianwill be glad to receive a jar of homemade jam.
9Flowers
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. Inwintertime, forage for Crocuses.
Like gemstones, this one carries exceptions, sochoose 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.
8Honey
Image via Reddit userMagoner
Like flowers,Honeyis 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 byany villager except for Maru or Sebastian.
7Maple Syrup
Hardly anyone could say no to a jug of real, freshMaple Syrupto 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 (using2 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.
6Fruit Tree Fruit
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 ofuniversally-liked gifts.
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Saplings for all the universally-liked fruit trees arefound 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 formango and banana,which most often rank as Neutral gifts.) Among the orchard fruits, a few rank among certain villagers' Loves:
