Recipe

A recipe lists a set of required ingredients that can make or produce an item depending on a required profession or class and a required level. This can be in the form of an item (like a note, parchment or scroll) or given by a trainer. When in the form of an item, they are sometimes found (in limited supply) on vendors throughout the world, or as drops from mobs. In the game manuals, they are sometimes called blueprints. Sometimes, a recipe improves the skill of a player's profession, such as increasing it from 300 to 375, rather than teaching the player to make another item. Basically, a recipe is a method for improving a profession. Below is a listing of different professions that uses item-recipes, what different recipes are called and what they looks / may look like.


 * Primary professions:
 * Trade mining.png Mining (Spell fire flameblades.png Smelting, to be accurate) recipes are books. There are only two of them in the game, one referred to as a Inv misc book 11.png‎ and the other a Inv misc book 08.png‎‎.
 * Trade blacksmithing.png Blacksmithing recipes are Inv scroll 03.pngInv scroll 06.pngInv scroll 05.pngInv scroll 04.png‎‎ls called Plans. There are also six Inv misc note 03.pngInv misc note 04.pngInv misc note 06.png sheets referred to as "volumes" which all combined will give armorsmith-blacksmiths 3 plans for enchanted thorium-armor.
 * Trade tailoring.png Tailoring recipes are Inv scroll 03.pngInv scroll 06.pngInv scroll 05.pngInv scroll 04.png‎‎ls called Patterns. There is also a Inv misc book 02.png‎‎‎ called "A Guide to Northern Cloth Scavenging" teaching a passive skill.
 * Inv misc armorkit 17.png‎ Leatherworking recipes are also Inv scroll 03.pngInv scroll 06.pngInv scroll 05.pngInv scroll 04.png‎‎ls called Patterns.
 * Trade engineering.png Engineering recipes are Inv scroll 03.pngInv scroll 06.pngInv scroll 05.pngInv scroll 04.png‎‎ls called Schematics. In rare cases they are called Plans.
 * Trade engraving.png Enchanting recipes are Inv misc note 01.png‎‎‎Inv enchant formulagood 01.png‎‎Inv enchant formulasuperior 01.png‎‎Inv enchant formulaepic 01.png‎‎ sheets called Formulas.
 * Trade alchemy.png Alchemy recipes are Inv scroll 03.pngInv scroll 06.pngInv scroll 05.pngInv scroll 04.png‎‎ls simply called Recipes.
 * Inv misc gem 02.png Jewelcrafting recipes are Inv scroll 03.pngInv scroll 06.pngInv scroll 05.pngInv scroll 04.png‎‎ls called Designs.
 * Inv inscription tradeskill01.png‎ Inscription recipes are called Techniques. There are only six of them, one Inv misc book 07.png and five Inv scroll 03.pngInv scroll 06.pngls. Many other glyphs are learned from books called Book of Glyph Mastery which works a little different than other recipes - each book may teach the scribe a random glyph chosen from 55 different kinds.


 * Secondary professions:
 * Inv misc food 15.png‎‎ Cooking recipes are also called Recipes. Usually they are Inv scroll 03.pngInv scroll 06.pngInv scroll 05.pngls, but some are Inv misc note 01.png‎‎‎ sheets and one is a Inv misc book 02.png‎‎‎. Before patch 3.1.0, players also required the two books Expert Cookbook and Master Cookbook in order to learn higher skill-levels in Cooking.
 * Spell holy sealofsacrifice.png‎‎‎ First Aid recipes are books called Inv misc book 03.pngls. There is also a scroll called a Inv scroll 03.pngla. Before patch 3.1.0, players also required the two books Expert First Aid - Under Wraps and Master First Aid - Doctor in the House in order to learn higher skill-levels in First Aid.
 * Trade fishing.png‎‎‎‎ Fishing recipes are also books. Patch 2.3.0 implemented the book Inv misc book 09.pnger-Beaten Journal that is only obtainable by fishing. It teaches players an ability to find fish. Before patch 3.1.0, players also required the two books Inv misc book 08.png‎‎ and Inv misc book 06.png‎‎ in order to learn higher skill-levels in Fishing.


 * Class-specified profession(s):
 * Trade brewpoison.png‎‎ Poisons was once a profession only known by Rogues, which allowed them to make their own poisons. Patch 3.0.2 removed this skill, having Rogues buy poison instead of making it. Only one recipe existed for this profession, Handbook of Deadly Poison V. Notice that the term "Handbook" and the item being a book in itself counts for several Rogue-abilities taught from items in general, and not as qualities for recipes especially in this profession. One item teaching a Rogue-ability is also called a Inv misc book 14.pngl.

Recipe names are, to an extent, interchangeable. For example, it is not uncommon to see people referring to ANY recipe, be it jewelcrafting, alchemy, etc, as a "pattern", "plans", or "design".

Rarity of different recipes
Recipes often come in different colors (both picture and name), depending on their rarity. Although the system differs between different professions, a common rule is that recipes in white are "common" recipes that usually are bought from vendors, while any other colors are more uncommon recipes dropped by monsters or obtained from quests. Generally, the color of a recipe reflects the quality of the crafted item, and if the item is either unusual or powerful for its level, the recipe is often hard to obtain.

There are however several exceptions; some white cooking-recipes may for example be considered extremely rare even though they are bought for less than a gold from easily accessable vendors, or are rewards from simple low-level quests. This is because many cooking-recipes are only obtainable by players playing as a Horde-character and vice versa, thus only allowing the opposite faction to learn the recipe by selling it in the neutral auction house. Another phenomenon is rare recipes often selling for quite the price between players even though the crafted item may be next to useless; this is because many players devoted to their profession seek to complete it as much as possible, even with useless items. Before selling a recipe, players therefore should always check the market to see what people are willing to pay.