Le Gourmet Revolution: Project Zomboidโs Tastiest Survival Overhaul
Le Gourmet Revolution
The Ultimate Survival Overhaul for Project Zomboid
Overview of Le Gourmet Revolution
Le Gourmet Revolution (LGR) is an ambitious Project Zomboid mod by Snake that overhauls cooking, farming, hunting, fishing, and more. It serves as a comprehensive survival modpack, adding new game mechanics, items, and depth far beyond vanilla PZ. Originally released outside the Steam Workshop on Snake's own blog, LGR has evolved through regular updates (latest Beta 18 for PZ 41.78 as of Dec 16, 2024) and remains actively developed.
In a nutshell, Le Gourmet Revolution transforms Project Zomboid's food and survival systems by introducing new crops (e.g. rice, pumpkins, wheat), craftable foods (e.g. waffles, cupcakes that exist in vanilla loot but couldn't be made), an immersive hunting system, expanded fishing mechanics, and various other realism tweaks. It integrates these features with existing gameplay โ for example, requiring skill and knowledge (magazines or skill levels) to unlock advanced crafting โ making it a mod "for true survivalists".
Expanded Farming
New crops including rice, pumpkins, wheat, and fruit trees with realistic growth cycles.
Advanced Cooking
Dozens of new recipes, including previously uncraftable foods like waffles, hot dogs, and complex meals.
Hunting System
Hunt deer, boar, and other animals with slingshots or firearms, then butcher them for meat and resources.
Fishing Overhaul
Weather affects catches, new fish species, improved tackle and equipment, trophy fish system.
Food Preservation
Cheese-making, canning, drying and more ways to preserve your harvests for winter survival.
Building Expansion
New crafting stations, cane walls, hunting trophies, tannery system and more structures.
Key Differences (Vanilla vs. Le Gourmet Revolution)
| Aspect | Vanilla Project Zomboid | With Le Gourmet Revolution |
|---|---|---|
| ๐พ Farming | Limited crops (6 base plant types); seed packets ready to plant out-of-box. | New crops like rice, pumpkin, wheat, tobacco, etc.; Seed packets must be read to learn planting; adds fruit trees (e.g. apple, orange) that take ~6 months to grow and produce monthly fruit. Some crops need trellises (stakes & twine) for support. |
| ๐ Foraging | Find berries, mushrooms, etc. by default. | Unknown seeds can be foraged (if you've read a new seed magazine or have Herbalist trait); requires a Seed Book or farmer skill to identify them. Adds a Metal Detector tool that unlocks a foraging category for scrap metal treasure. Hunting is integrated with foraging zones. |
| ๐น Hunting | No wild animal hunting (only trapping small game). | Robust hunting system: use a slingshot + binoculars to quietly hunt small animals (birds, rabbits, etc.) or set a bear trap for big game. Alternatively, use a rifle with scope to hunt large animals (deer, boar, bears, etc.) at range. Only one successful rifle hunt per zone/day is possible. Hunting yields animal corpses which can be butchered for meat, hide/fur, and trophy parts. |
| ๐ชค Trapping | Only small game traps (rabbits, birds) with basic baits. | Expanded trapping for larger animals via the new Bear Trap. A special "Hunting Card" item lists the probability of each animal in the trapping system. Large trapped animals can be killed and then tied with ropes (4 ropes) to drag or carry them more easily. |
| ๐ฃ Fishing | Fish types and catch rates fairly basic; unaffected by weather; limited tackle items. | Complete fishing overhaul: New fish species (including rare trophy fish), new bait and tackle, plus dynamic catch rates governed by weather conditions. A Sport Fishing book enables catch-and-release for XP gain. Fishing Encyclopedias unlock detailed info about using various new lures and tackle. |
| ๐ณ Cooking & Food | Many food items exist but have no crafting recipes; perishables vs non-perishables are static; nutrition info requires the Nutritionist trait. | Dozens of new recipes and food items: You can craft foods that were previously uncraftable (e.g. waffles, cupcakes, pies, hot dogs, etc.). The mod introduces dairy crafting like cheese-making, drink crafting, and other preserved foods. At Cooking level 10, your character automatically gains the Nutritionist trait. Previously non-perishable foods can now expire/rot over time. |
| ๐๏ธ Building & Crafting | Standard carpentry constructions; no food crafting stations except campfire/stove; no animal processing beyond vanilla. | New crafting stations and objects: Craft Cane Wall structures, build a Cheese Table for aging milk into cheese, create Hunting Trophies, construct a Tanner (Tannery) for curing animal hides. A Magnifying Glass tool lets you start campfires using sunlight. |
| ๐งต Tailoring & Items | Rip clothing for thread; limited craftable clothing (no player-made ropes except sheet ropes). | Enhanced tailoring and item crafting: If you have scissors in inventory, you can fray clothes to obtain pieces of fine thread or string. These pieces can then be crafted into full spools of thread or twine. You can also combine thicker twine pieces into ropes. LGR adds a variety of tools and gadgets including Binoculars, Metal Detector, Wooden/Rubber Slingshots, and more. |
In short, LGR turns Project Zomboid into a deeper survival sim. It balances its many additions so as not to "break" the game's core challenge โ rather, it extends the end-game and gives long-term survivors more to strive for (advanced food production, trophy hunting, self-sufficiency). The mod's philosophy is to add complexity but preserve PZ's essence, which is echoed by community praise.
Installation & Setup (Single-Player)
Where to get it
Le Gourmet Revolution is not directly available on the Steam Workshop as a standalone item (Snake distributes it via an external download). Instead, it's part of Snake's Mod Pack, an all-in-one bundle containing LGR and several other of Snake's mods and maps.
Installation steps:
Download the modpack: On Snake's blog, find the latest Build 41 modpack (Beta 18) download link (e.g. a .rar file hosted on MediaFire, ~200 MB for Beta18). Make sure it matches your PZ version (41.78 as of writing). Note: The modpack contains multiple module folders (for LGR, maps, etc.) inside.
Locate your Zomboid mods folder: For Steam on Windows, this is typically C:\Users\<YourUser>\Zomboid\mods\. On Linux it's in the /Zomboid/mods under your home directory. You can also find it by launching PZ, going to the Mods menu, and clicking "Open Mods Folder".
Install the mods: Take the downloaded .rar and extract its contents into the mods folder. After extraction, you should see a set of folders like LeGourmetRevolution, SnakeModpack, SnakeUtilsPack, CustomMapBridge, etc., each containing mod.info files and data.
Enable required components: Launch Project Zomboid and go to the Mods menu. Enable at minimum:
- Snake Utils Pack (utility library)
- Custom Map Bridge (ensures LGR items spawn correctly)
- Le Gourmet Revolution (the main mod)
- Any other of Snake's modules you want (optional)
Start a new game (recommended): Because LGR adds many items and changes loot distribution, it's best to start a fresh save so that all new items (magazines, seeds, tools, etc.) will spawn in the world. Loading LGR into an existing save is technically possible but new items will only appear in unvisited cells.
Loading hints: The first time you load with LGR, expect a slightly longer startup. If you get a red box error on load, double-check that SnakeUtils and CustomMapBridge are enabled. Also verify you didn't accidentally leave a conflicting mod enabled.
In-game check: You can confirm LGR is active by starting a game and checking for a few telltales: For example, open a seed packet โ you should now get a prompt to read it (taking some in-game time) instead of instantly seeing seeds.
Updating the mod
Since it's not on Workshop, you won't get automatic updates. Snake periodically releases new Beta versions of the modpack on his blog. To update:
- Download the new pack
- Remove the old mod folders first to avoid leftover files
- Extract the new mod files to your mods folder
- For major version jumps that add a lot of new content, starting a fresh world is recommended
Compatibility & Popular Mod Combos
LGR makes extensive changes to core mechanics, so naturally compatibility is a concern. Snake himself warns that any mod altering farming, fishing, foraging, inventory UIs, or item transfer mechanics could conflict. Here's a breakdown of known compatibilities and conflicts:
INCOMPATIBLE Hydrocraft
Hydrocraft is another large mod adding farming, animals, crafting, etc., which would overlap heavily with LGR. Users have reported you essentially must choose one or the other, as features like farming systems will collide. There is no comprehensive patch merging Hydrocraft with LGR.
COMPATIBLE Ultimate Farming Patch (UFP)
Ultimate Farming Patch [Redux] is a community mod that aims to make different farming mods work together. It includes custom integration for LGR's crops and farming mechanics. If you plan to mix LGR with other farming overhauls (e.g. Soul Filcher's Farming Time or Mo' Crops), installing UFP is highly recommended. Make sure to also get the specific sub-patch "UFP โ Le Gourmet Revolution Patch".
REQUIRES PATCH Green Fire mod
Green Fire is a farming mod that, for example, added greenhouse mechanics. Using it with LGR without a patch will break certain things. There was an older patch "GreenFire + Le Gourmet (Outdated)" that is now replaced by UFP's patches. In short, if you use Green Fire, grab UFP โ Green Fire Patch as well.
PARTIALLY INCOMPATIBLE Brita's Weapon Pack / Arsenal(26)
LGR's modpack includes a module "Weapons Accessories" that modifies firearms (adding suppressors, scopes, etc. to vanilla guns). This can conflict with Brita's which also overhauls guns. If you want to use Brita's guns, consider disabling Snake's WPA module and Ammo Maker module, sticking to LGR for survival aspects only.
MOSTLY COMPATIBLE Food/recipe mods
LGR covers a lot of cooking, but you might want even more. Many food preservation mods work fine with LGR, but a few require specific combos:
- Rugged Recipes and Turk's Lasting Jarred Foodstuffs are confirmed to work well.
- Jerky and smoking mods like Rugged Recipes or Smoker mod should be fine since LGR doesn't alter dried meat code.
- By default LGR does not add a way to make vinegar or salt. If you find preserving materials too rare, consider "Lone Wanderer's Saving Grace".
COMPATIBLE UI and QOL mods
Mods that change the inventory interface (e.g. Better Sorting, Item Tweaker API) generally work as long as they don't conflict with LGR's tooltip changes. LGR adds spoilage text to tooltips for food, but that is done via code injection at Cooking 4, which typically won't break sorting or coloring mods.
COMPATIBLE Maps
LGR is mostly compatible with custom map mods. The Custom Map Bridge included in the pack is specifically meant to ensure that LGR's loot (e.g. new magazines, seeds, items) can spawn on custom community maps as well as vanilla ones.
NEEDS SETUP Multiplayer
While our focus is single-player, note that Snake's modpack can be used in multiplayer with some effort. Ensure the server has all the mod files and all clients are using the same version. Some features were designed with MP in mind (e.g. requiring players to read seed packets so not everyone can farm everything immediately in a server).
In summary, Le Gourmet Revolution plays best as a standalone overhaul or with small QoL additions. It doesn't coexist nicely with other big overhauls unless you leverage community patches like UFP. When adding any mod, always ask: does this mod also change farming, food or foraging? If yes, it likely conflicts with LGR's changes.
Surviving (and Thriving) with Le Gourmet Revolution
Playing PZ with LGR is a fresh experience, even for veterans. The key to thriving is understanding LGR's new survival priorities: food preservation, crafting progression, and smart use of the new tools at your disposal.
๐ฑ Early Game Priorities
Secure Knowledge Early
Books and magazines are more important than ever. Upon starting, prioritize searching kitchens, bookstores, libraries, and sheds for LGR-specific literature:
- Seed Packet Instructions: Every seed packet now acts like a skill magazine. Read each seed packet you find to unlock that crop for planting.
- LGR Magazines: Look out for magazines like "Climateology" (weather guide), "Sport Fishing Vol.1" (allowing fish release for XP), "The Hunter's Guide" (for trophy crafting or butchering techniques), etc.
- Le Gourmet Revolution Book: This is a special, somewhat rare spawn (often labeled Volume 1). Reading it provides an in-universe explanation of the mod's mechanics.
New Tools Scavenger Hunt
Several tools are either new or have newfound importance:
๐ Binoculars
Required for hunting with slingshots. Check houses, sheds, or ranger zombies.
๐ Magnifying Glass
Light campfires without matches on sunny days. Check desk drawers or schools.
๐ฆ Metal Detector
Unlocks "Search for metals" foraging mode. Check tool sheds or hardware stores.
๐ซ Hunting Gear
Slingshot (craft with Carpentry 5), small stones, bear trap for hunting.
๐ฃ Fishing Gear
Collect tackle, rods, and Fishing Encyclopedia books for mid-game.
๐ฅซ Preserving Supplies
Grab jars, lids, vinegar, sugar, salt for preservation. Vinegar is finite.
Food Strategy โ Short Term vs Long Term
In LGR, you cannot rely on non-perishables indefinitely โ many will spoil after months. Early on, still consume fresh perishables you find (they rot fastest). But don't ignore things like flour, rice, pasta thinking they last forever. Plan to use or preserve such items within a few months.
Adapt Weight Management
You'll encounter heavier items than usual โ e.g. a gutted deer carcass or a bucket of milk for cheese. Prepare a way to transport weight:
- Craft a Handcart or use a wheelbarrow if you have one.
- When hunting large game, carry 4 ropes on you. After downing a big animal, you can tie it up to reduce its weight for carrying.
- Use the Alice pack (if you have Snake's Alice Backpack mod enabled in the pack) or other large bags to haul new resources.
๐พ Building Your Farm & Food Empire
๐ฑ Starting a Farm
- Plant a mix of short-term and long-term crops. Quick yields like lettuce, carrots, or rice can give food within a month.
- Use supports for vine crops: If you're growing tomatoes, cucumbers, or similar, LGR might require you to place wooden sticks and sheet ropes as trellises.
- Mind new plant diseases or mechanics: LGR's farming generally mirrors base game with additions.
- Take advantage of Tobacco if it's in your version. Growing tobacco leaves allows crafting cigarettes.
- Build a Cane Drying Rack and start a small cane crop if available.
๐ฃ Fishing for Food
- Using the climate data (if you have it), learn when conditions yield better fish activity.
- Craft or find a Fishing Trap for passive food.
- If near the coast, consider building a fish drying rack to make dried fish jerky.
- Watch for "trophy fish" โ if you catch one (they'll be big and rare), you might want to mount it as a trophy.
๐น Hunting & Trapping Best Practices
๐ Slingshot Hunting:
Find a dense forest, enable search mode, and right-click a tree to "Watch for animals". When an animal picture appears, clicking "Yes" to shoot will attempt a kill. Don't spam if your foraging is low.
๐ Firearm Hunting:
Before attempting, have a plan for the loud gunshot. It's wise to build a hunting post on a second-story window or rooftop overlooking forest. After a successful kill, quickly scan for attracted zombies.
๐ Trap Placement:
Use Bear Traps on paths animals might tread โ in game terms, probably anywhere in deep forest or on the edge of woods. Check traps daily.
๐ Animal Processing:
When you catch game, you'll need a knife or axe to butcher it. Large animals often require reading a magazine first (e.g. "How to Butcher a Big Game").
๐ณ Cooking & Food Preservation
๐ง Cheese Making
If you find a bucket of milk, consider making cheese rather than letting it spoil. Craft the Cheese Table and place milk on it. Cheese lasts much longer than milk.
๐ฅซ Jar Everything
With the farming output you'll get, invest in jarring. Can and pickle all excess vegetables by late fall โ this can provide food deep into winter.
๐ฅ Drying and Smoking
While LGR doesn't add a dedicated smoker, you can simulate jerky by drying meat strips by a fire or using any additional mod.
๐ New Recipes
Don't ignore fun recipes like hot dogs or cocktails. A hot dog might be a handy way to combine bread + meat for a decent hunger fill with long shelf life.
๐๏ธ Long-Term Survival and Advanced Gameplay
โ๏ธ Winter in LGR
If playing with default settings, Kentucky winters can be harsh. With LGR, you should aim to have a stockpile of preserved food by late fall:
- Jarred veggies and fruits (for vitamins and variety)
- Smoked or salted meat (if available) or at least a freezer full of fish and meat
- Maybe some cheese wheels, dried pasta, flour, etc., to make filling meals
- If you built a Greenhouse (via Green Fire mod compatibility), you could grow some crops in winter
Use winter downtime to do indoor crafts: tailor yourself sturdy clothes (perhaps using leather from tanned hides) and read any unread skill books.
๐ Self-Sufficiency
As the months go by, try to wean off scavenging and rely on your own production:
- You can potentially sustain indefinitely with LGR: renewable food (farms, fruit trees, hunting, fishing), renewable water, and crafted medicine.
- If you find beekeeping equipment (the mod author was working on Apiculture), that could be a game-changer for sugar (honey) and wax.
- With tobacco for cigarettes, honey for sugar, and maybe corn for moonshine (if you can brew alcohol via mods), you can truly live off the land.
๐ Dealing with Increased Micromanagement
๐ Create a Journal
Write on a notebook item to create checklists of tasks like "check traps", "stir cheese on table", "harvest fruit trees in October", etc.
๐ฆ Use Labels & Crates
Dedicate a cupboard to "Seeds & Farming", another to "Preserved Foods", a rack to "Hunting Gear". The more you compartmentalize, the less overwhelming it feels.
๐๏ธ Monitor UI Info
The food tooltips at Cooking 4 will tell you if something is about to go stale. Check your pantry periodically to avoid wasting food.
๐ Rotation System
Implement a food rotation system - eat oldest items first. Use separate containers for fresh, aging, and nearly-expired foods.
๐ Challenges and Achievements
Complete the Culinary Codex
Try to cook every new recipe the mod offers. There are many โ from simple biscuits to elaborate cocktails. It's a fun end-game goal for a chef character.
Trophy Hunter
Hunt and mount every type of large animal. Display your collection of deer antlers, bear head, boar tusks, etc., in your base.
Fully Self-Sufficient Base
Aim to survive one full year (then two, and beyond) without looting any more food from the world after an initial period. This really tests your LGR mastery.
๐ Known Quirks & Bugs
No mod is perfect. Here are a few known issues or oddities in the current LGR (with possible workarounds):
Untranslated Text
Snake's native language is Spanish, and while LGR has English support, occasionally you might encounter an item name or description still in Spanish (e.g. "Cuerda" for rope). Most of these have been integrated over time, but if you do see Spanish text, know that it's cosmetic โ it won't break anything.
Trap Animal Processing
Some users reported difficulty butchering trapped animals. To butcher a small animal, you need a knife in inventory and to right-click the corpse in your inventory (not on ground) and select "Butcher". If that isn't appearing, try dropping and re-picking up the item, or ensure you aren't missing a learned recipe.
Fuel Pump Bug
A specific bug noted by a user was an error when refueling directly at gas pumps with the modpack. If you run into this, try disabling the Fuel Tanks mod (if you enabled it). Otherwise, the simple solution is to pump gas into gas cans then pour into vehicles.
Performance
LGR itself is fairly optimized (no reports of major lag due to it), but adding lots of items and farming objects can increase save file size and slightly affect FPS around large farms. If you notice lag on an older PC, consider reducing the number of active crops or turning off the Search Mode when not needed.
Backup Your Save: Always a good practice with big mods โ occasionally, an update or a mod conflict could corrupt something. Back up your Zomboid/Saves folder for your playthrough periodically.
Conclusion & Resources
Le Gourmet Revolution is more than just a mod โ it's practically an expansion that touches every aspect of survival except the zombies themselves. It demands more of the player in planning and effort, but rewards you with a profoundly satisfying gameplay loop: forage, farm, hunt, cook, and thrive. It's ideal for long single-player runs where you want to move past simply surviving and start building a life (albeit a post-apocalyptic one).
Further Resources
- Snake's Project Zomboid Modding Blog โ contains the official mod descriptions, changelogs, and download links for LGR and the modpack.
- Project Zomboid Official Forums & Blog (Mod Spotlight: Snake) โ provides a high-level overview of Snake's work.
- Reddit Discussions (r/projectzomboid) โ numerous threads where players ask questions about LGR.
- YouTube Showcases โ content creators have made spotlights on LGR which can visually demonstrate features.
- PZ Fans Wiki โ the community-driven site summarizing mods, where LGR's page lists major features.
- Ultimate Farming Patch Workshop Page โ if you plan to combine mods, the UFP page details compatibility options.
Final Thoughts
With this knowledge, you are well-equipped to explore Le Gourmet Revolution in depth. Whether you're writing for an audience of players or just gearing up for your own ultimate survival run, remember that the joy of LGR comes from embracing the complexity โ take it step by step, and soon you'll be curing your own cheese and smoking your own meat like a true post-apocalyptic gourmet. Good luck, and happy surviving!