How to Get Gourmet 3 Abyss Gear in Crimson Desert (Animal Meat Challenge)

TL;DR

• Gourmet III Abyss Gear boosts food healing effects by approximately 15% and fits in armor slots.
• To unlock it, pick up the Sealed Abyss Artifact on the mountain ridge north of Sage’s Peak in Pailune.
• This triggers the Animal Meat Life Challenge — acquire all 8 meat types of knowledge.
• Buy 7 of the 8 meats from Renee the Butcher in Hernand Town.
• The 8th type is Fish Fillet — get it by catching fish or completing Renee’s Request quest.
• Challenge progress only counts AFTER you pick up the Sealed Artifact, so grab it early.

Gourmet III is one of the most underrated Abyss Gears in Crimson Desert. It is not flashy and it will not help you stagger enemies or hit harder, but what it does do is make every piece of food you eat roughly 15% more effective. In a game where food is your main healing source, that translates directly into surviving fights you would otherwise lose — especially against bosses.

Getting it requires completing the Animal Meat Life Challenge, which sounds vague but is actually one of the easiest Life Challenges to finish once you know exactly what to buy and where. This guide covers the full process from start to finish.

For all other Abyss Gear information, the Abyss Gears list guide has every core in the game with effects and locations.

What Does Gourmet III Do?

Gourmet III is a utility Abyss Gear that increases the potency of all food effects by Level 3, adding roughly 15% to healing and buffs gained from eating. It slots into armor pieces only — it cannot go into weapons, shields, or footwear.

This gear earns its place in any build because food is central to Crimson Desert’s survival loop. Grilled Meat, Fish Porridge, and other cooked meals are your main source of in-combat healing. A 15% boost to those heals means fewer items consumed per fight and more total health recovered when things get tight.

It is especially strong during boss fights where you cannot restock mid-encounter and every bit of healing matters. For the best meals to pair with Gourmet III, the how to cook best healing food guide covers the most efficient options to keep in your bag.

Step 1: Find the Sealed Abyss Artifact (Pailune — Sage’s Peak)

Before the Animal Meat challenge becomes active, you need to physically pick up its Sealed Abyss Artifact. Challenge progress does not count retroactively for most Life Challenges, so picking this up as early as possible is important. Any meat knowledge you gained before picking it up will not count toward the 8/8 total.

The Sealed Abyss Artifact for the Animal Meat challenge is located on a mountain ridge due north of Sage’s Peak in the Pailune region. On the map, look west of the “A” in “Pailune” and head north toward the ridge above the Sage’s Peak area.

Like all Sealed Abyss Artifacts, it sits on a small stone altar or cairn by the roadside. If you are having trouble spotting it, hold up your lantern or use Blinding Flash (L1+R1 / LB+RB / CTRL + Left Click) — Sealed Artifacts emit a distinct white ring of light from a distance, making them easy to see at night or from horseback. They also appear as purple icons on your minimap when you are nearby.

Once you pick it up, the Animal Meat challenge activates. You will briefly see the tally (0/8 meat knowledge) appear on the left side of your screen. If you miss that, check Journal → Challenges → Life to track your progress at any time.

Step 2: Complete the Animal Meat Challenge (All 8 Meat Types)

The challenge requires you to acquire knowledge of all 8 types of meat in the game. You get knowledge of a meat type the first time you obtain it — either by buying it, hunting and skinning the right animal, or receiving it as a reward.

Here are all 8 meat types and the quickest way to get each:

The fastest method by far: Head to Renee the Butcher in Hernand Town. Her shop is in the alley just past the Inn. Buy one of each meat type she stocks — that covers 7 of the 8 in a single visit with no hunting required. Simply purchasing an item gives you the knowledge for it.

Renee’s stock restocks every in-game midnight at 0:00. If any meat type is sold out when you visit, rest until midnight and check again.

Getting the 8th Meat: Fish Fillet

Fish Fillet is the one type Renee does not sell. You have two options to get it:

Option 1 — Complete Renee’s Request: This early side quest in Hernand is unlocked by reading Renee’s poster on the Notice Board in Hernand Town, then speaking to Renee at her shop. She will give you a recipe and ingredients to cook 3 Modest Fish Porridge for a special guest. Completing this quest gives you Fish Fillet knowledge automatically as part of the process, plus a Medium Bag (+3 inventory slots) as the reward. For a full walkthrough of that quest, the how to complete Renee’s Request guide covers every step.

Option 2 — Catch or clean a fish: Go to any river or fishing spot in Pywel and catch a fish. Cleaning the fish gives you Fish Fillet, which registers the knowledge. For help getting started, the how to fish in Crimson Desert guide walks through the full fishing system. You can also buy Fish Fillet from vendors near fishing areas if any have it in stock.

Option 1 is the better choice if you have not done Renee’s Request yet since it rewards useful items on top of ticking the challenge box.

Step 3: Claim Your Gourmet III Abyss Gear

Once all 8 meat knowledge entries are registered, the challenge completes automatically. The Sealed Abyss Artifact icon will appear on the right side of your screen.

Open your inventory, find the flashing Sealed Abyss Artifact item, and select it to unseal it. This gives you the Gourmet III Abyss Gear along with an Abyss Artifact (skill point) as part of the reward package.

Take the Gourmet III to any Witch and slot it into an armor piece of your choice. It is compatible with all armor slot types — helmet, chest, gloves, and boots — so pick whichever piece has an open Abyss Gear slot that you are not already using for a higher-priority gear. For help finding Witches, the all Witches locations guide has every one mapped across Pywel.

Tips to Make This Even Faster

Pick up the Sealed Artifact the moment you reach Pailune. The challenge does not track meat knowledge gained before you hold the artifact. Do not spend time hunting animals in Hernand first — grab the artifact, then buy from Renee.

Do Renee’s Request early. It is one of the first side quests available in the game, it rewards a Medium Bag for inventory space, and it covers the Fish Fillet requirement in one go. There is no reason to skip it. If you have not done it yet, the how to complete Renee’s Request guide is a quick read.

Save before visiting Renee if her stock is limited. Her inventory restocks at midnight each in-game day, so if certain meats are sold out, rest at a bed or bonfire to advance the clock.

Check your knowledge log, not your inventory. The Sealed Abyss Artifact’s inventory description is cryptic and unhelpful. Track real progress under Journal → Challenges → Life tab, where you can see the exact 0/8 to 8/8 count.

Where Gourmet III Fits in Your Build

Gourmet III goes in any armor slot and pairs naturally with any build that uses food heavily. That means essentially everyone — food is the primary healing method in Crimson Desert regardless of your weapon choice.

It is particularly valuable when you are learning boss patterns and burning through healing items quickly. Pair it with a reliable food supply and the how to increase defense level system for a build that takes less damage and heals more per bite.

For survivability builds that also want passive lifesteal on hits, the Delesyian Longsword guide covers a great early two-handed option that pairs well with Gourmet III. And if you want to see every other Abyss Gear worth chasing alongside it, the best items early guide and the best early build guide are solid companion reads.

Quick Summary

Gourmet III is one of those Abyss Gears that quietly makes every part of the game more comfortable. It does not change how you fight, but it changes how long you can keep fighting — and in a game built around difficult combat encounters and limited mid-fight healing, that matters more than most players expect.

While you are in Pailune collecting Sealed Artifacts, it is worth also checking the all Sanctum locations guide and how to get unlimited Abyss Artifacts guide to maximize the skill points you earn from the region. And if you want to see how Gourmet III stacks up against other top utility gears, the Abyss Gears list breaks down all 190+ options in detail.

Crimson Desert is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Visit the official Crimson Desert website for the latest news and updates from Pearl Abyss.