Stardew Valley Gift Guide: What Every Villager Loves and Hates

Getting closer to a villager in Stardew Valley is mostly about handing over the right item at the right moment. Tastes vary wildly across Pelican Town, and a single bad gift can erase a week of progress. This reference covers every loved, liked, disliked, and hated item for each marriage candidate, plus the universal gift categories that apply across the entire cast.

How Friendship Points Work

Every villager has a 10 heart relationship meter, and each heart is worth 250 friendship points, for a maximum of 2,500 per person. Handing over an item shifts that meter by a fixed amount depending on how the recipient feels about it:

• Loved gift: +80 points
• Liked gift: +45 points
• Neutral gift: +20 points
• Disliked gift: -20 points
• Hated gift: -40 points

Time your present well and the math gets generous. Birthday gifts multiply the change by eight. A Complete Breakfast handed to Alex on his birthday is worth 640 points, which is more than two and a half hearts. Drop a Sea Cucumber on Elliott on his birthday and you lose 320 points, closer to deleting a heart than building one.

Gifts are not the only friendship lever. Several daily actions also move the needle:

• Talking to a villager once per day: +20 points
• Completing an item delivery quest: +150 points
• Inviting someone to the movie theater: +100 or +200 depending on the film
• Buying a snack at the theater before the movie: +25 to +50 depending on the item
• Ignoring a villager for a day: -2 to -20 (scales with current friendship)
• Hitting a villager with a slingshot: -30 per hit
• Looting a trash can while someone is watching: -25

Friendship decay also stops once a villager's meter is maxed. That has been the case since Update 1.07, so once you hit full hearts, you can take a few days off without sliding backwards.

Keep in mind that each villager only accepts two gifts per week, plus one extra on their birthday. Plan around that limit before crafting a huge stack of Pickles for Harvey.

Gift Preferences by Villager

The lists below cover the marriage candidates. Any item not mentioned for a specific villager falls back to the universal categories further down.

Abigail

Loved Gifts

• Amethyst
• Banana Pudding
• Blackberry Cobbler
• Chocolate Cake
• Pufferfish
• Pumpkin
• Spicy Eel

Liked Gifts

• Quartz

Neutral Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Snow Yam
• Winter Root
• All Milk

Disliked Gifts

• Sugar
• Wild Horseradish
• All Eggs except Dinosaur Egg
• All Fruit except Fruit Tree Fruit
• All Vegetables except Hops, Pumpkin, Wheat, and Tea Leaves

Hated Gifts

• Clay
• Holly

Alex

Loved Gifts

• Complete Breakfast
• Salmon Dinner

Liked Gifts

• All Universal Likes and Eggs except Void Egg

Neutral Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Snow Yam
• Winter Root
• All Fruit except Salmonberry and Fruit Tree Fruit
• All Milk

Disliked Gifts

• Salmonberry
• Wild Horseradish

Hated Gifts

• Holly
• Quartz

Elliott

Loved Gifts

• Crab Cakes
• Duck Feather
• Lobster
• Pomegranate
• Squid Ink
• Tom Kha Soup

Liked Gifts

• Octopus
• Squid
• All Universal Likes except Amaranth and Pizza
• All Fruit except Pomegranate and Salmonberry

Neutral Gifts

• All Eggs except Void Egg
• All Fish except Carp, Lobster, Octopus, Snail, Squid, and Sea Cucumber
• All Universal Neutrals except Duck Feather and Squid Ink

Disliked Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Holly
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Pizza
• Purple Mushroom
• Snow Yam
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root
• All Milk
• All Universal Dislikes except Fish

Hated Gifts

• Amaranth
• Quartz
• Salmonberry
• Sea Cucumber

Emily

Loved Gifts

• Amethyst
• Aquamarine
• Cloth
• Emerald
• Jade
• Ruby
• Survival Burger
• Topaz
• Wool

Liked Gifts

• Daffodil
• Quartz
• All Universal Likes except Sashimi, Fish Taco, Fried Eel, Ice Cream, Maki Roll, Rice Pudding, Salmon Dinner, and Spicy Eel

Neutral Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Snow Yam
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root
• All Universal Neutrals except Wool
• All Eggs except Void Egg
• All Fruit except Fruit Tree Fruit and Salmonberry
• All Milk

Disliked Gifts

• Fried Eel
• Ice Cream
• Rice Pudding
• Salmonberry
• Spicy Eel

Hated Gifts

• Fish Taco
• Holly
• Maki Roll
• Salmon Dinner
• Sashimi

Haley

Loved Gifts

• Coconut
• Fruit Salad
• Pink Cake
• Sunflower

Liked Gifts

• Daffodil
• All Universal Likes, including Truffle Oil

Neutral Gifts

• All Universal Neutrals with no exceptions

Disliked Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Holly
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Quartz
• Snow Yam
• Winter Root
• All Eggs
• All Milk
• All Fruit except Coconut
• All Vegetables except Hops, Wheat, and Tea Leaves

Hated Gifts

• Clay
• Prismatic Shard
• Wild Horseradish
• All Fish

Harvey

Loved Gifts

• Coffee
• Pickles
• Super Meal
• Truffle Oil
• Wine

Liked Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Duck Egg
• Duck Feather
• Ginger
• Goat Milk
• Hazelnut
• Holly
• Large Goat Milk
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Quartz
• Snow Yam
• Spring Onion
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root
• All Fruit except Salmonberry and Spice Berry
• All Universal Likes except Cheese, Goat Cheese, Blueberry Tart, Chocolate Cake, Cookie, Cranberry Sauce, Fried Mushroom, Glazed Yams, Hashbrowns, Ice Cream, Pancakes, Pink Cake, Pizza, Rhubarb Pie, and Rice Pudding

Neutral Gifts

• Large Milk
• Milk
• All Eggs except Duck Egg and Void Egg
• All Universal Neutrals except Bread, Coral, Duck Feather, Nautilus Shell, and Rainbow Shell

Disliked Gifts

• Blueberry Tart
• Bread
• Cheese
• Chocolate Cake
• Cookie
• Cranberry Sauce
• Fried Mushroom
• Glazed Yams
• Goat Cheese
• Hashbrowns
• Ice Cream
• Pancakes
• Pink Cake
• Pizza
• Rhubarb Pie
• Rice Pudding
• All Universal Dislikes except Spring Onion

Hated Gifts

• Coral
• Nautilus Shell
• Rainbow Shell
• Salmonberry
• Spice Berry

Leah

Loved Gifts

• Goat Cheese
• Poppyseed Muffin
• Salad
• Stir Fry
• Truffle
• Vegetable Medley
• Wine

Liked Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Driftwood
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Holly
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Snow Yam
• Spring Onion
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root
• All Milk
• All Fruit
• All Eggs except Void Egg
• All Universal Likes except Foraged Minerals (except Earth Crystal) and all Gems except Diamond and Prismatic Shard

Neutral Gifts

• All Universal Neutrals except Bread, Truffle, and Fried Egg

Disliked Gifts

• Carp Surprise
• Cookie
• Fried Egg
• Ice Cream
• Pink Cake
• Rice Pudding
• Seaweed
• Survival Burger
• Tortilla
• All Universal Dislikes except Driftwood, Spring Onion, and Void Egg
• All Gems except Diamond and Prismatic Shard
• All Foraged Minerals except Earth Crystal

Hated Gifts

• Bread
• Hashbrowns
• Pancakes
• Pizza
• Void Egg
• All Universal Hates except Seaweed

Maru

Loved Gifts

• Battery Pack
• Cauliflower
• Cheese Cauliflower
• Diamond
• Gold Bar
• Iridium Bar
• Miner's Treat
• Pepper Poppers
• Radioactive Bar
• Rhubarb Pie
• Strawberry

Liked Gifts

• Copper Bar
• Iron Bar
• Oak Resin
• Pine Tar
• Quartz
• Radioactive Ore
• All Universal Likes except Honey, Pickles, and Maple Syrup

Neutral Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root
• All Universal Neutrals except Truffle
• All Eggs except Void Egg
• All Fruit except Blackberry, Strawberry, Salmonberry, Crystal Fruit, and Fruit Tree Fruit
• All Milk

Disliked Gifts

• Blackberry
• Common Mushroom
• Crystal Fruit
• Maple Syrup
• Salmonberry
• All Universal Dislikes except Battery Pack, Copper Bar, Gold Bar, Iridium Bar, Iron Bar, Oak Resin, and Pine Tar

Hated Gifts

• Holly
• Honey
• Pickles
• Snow Yam
• Truffle
• All Universal Hates except Radioactive Bar and Radioactive Ore

Penny

Loved Gifts

• Diamond
• Emerald
• Melon
• Poppy
• Poppyseed Muffin
• Red Plate
• Roots Platter
• Sandfish
• Tom Kha Soup

Liked Gifts

• Dandelion
• Leek
• All Milk
• All Artifacts
• All Universal Likes except Beer, Mead, Algae Soup, Pale Ale, Pale Broth, Piña Colada, and Wine

Neutral Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Snow Yam
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root
• All Eggs except Void Egg
• All Fruits except Grape, Melon, Salmonberry, and Fruit Tree Fruit
• All Universal Neutrals except Hops, Wool, and Duck Feather

Disliked Gifts

• Algae Soup
• Duck Feather
• Pale Broth
• Purple Mushroom
• Quartz
• Red Mushroom
• Salmonberry
• Wool

Hated Gifts

• Beer
• Grape
• Holly
• Hops
• Mead
• Pale Ale
• Piña Colada
• Rabbit's Foot
• Wine

Sam

Loved Gifts

• Cactus Fruit
• Maple Bar
• Pizza
• Tigerseye

Liked Gifts

• Joja Cola
• All Eggs except Void Egg
• All Universal Likes except Mayonnaise, Pickles, Vegetables, and Duck Mayonnaise

Neutral Gifts

• All Milk
• All Universal Neutrals
• All Fruit except Salmonberry, Cactus Fruit, and Fruit Tree Fruit

Disliked Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Holly
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Quartz
• Salmonberry
• Seaweed
• Snow Yam
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root
• All Vegetables except Hops, Wheat, and Tea Leaves
• All Universal Dislikes except Coal, Tigerseye, Copper Bars, Gold Bars, Gold Ore, Iridium Bars, Iridium Ore, Iron Bars, and Refined Quartz

Hated Gifts

• Coal
• Copper Bar
• Duck Mayonnaise
• Gold Bar
• Gold Ore
• Iridium Bar
• Iridium Ore
• Iron Bar
• Mayonnaise
• Pickles
• Refined Quartz
• All Universal Hates except Seaweed and Joja Cola

Sebastian

Loved Gifts

• Frozen Tear
• Obsidian
• Pumpkin Soup
• Sashimi
• Void Egg

Liked Gifts

• Flounder
• Quartz

Neutral Gifts

• All Fruit except Salmonberry and Fruit Tree Fruit
• All Fish except Carp, Flounder, and Snail
• All Milk

Disliked Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Holly
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Salmonberry
• Snow Yam
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root

Hated Gifts

• Clay
• Complete Breakfast
• Farmer's Lunch
• Omelet
• Piña Colada
• All Eggs except Void Egg
• All Artisan Goods except Coffee, Oil, and Green Tea

Shane

Loved Gifts

• Beer
• Hot Pepper
• Pepper Poppers
• Pizza

Liked Gifts

• All Universal Likes except Pickles
• All Eggs except Void Egg
• All Fruits except Hot Pepper

Neutral Gifts

• All Milk
• All Universal Neutrals

Disliked Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Holly
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Purple Mushroom
• Seaweed
• Snow Yam
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root

Hated Gifts

• Pickles
• Quartz

Universal Gift Categories

When a villager's individual list does not mention a specific item, the game falls back on these universal preferences. Stock the loves for safe everyday gifts, and keep the hates in a chest somewhere far from your active inventory.

Universal Loves

• Golden Pumpkin
• Magic Rock Candy
• Pearl
• Prismatic Shard
• Rabbit's Foot
• Stardrop Tea

Universal Likes

• Life Elixir
• Maple Syrup
• Piña Colada
• Rainbow Shell
• Treasure Chest
• All Artisan Goods except Oil and Void Mayonnaise
• All Cooked Dishes except Bread, Fried Egg, Seafoam Pudding, and Strange Bun
• All Flowers except Poppy
• All Foraged Minerals except Quartz
• All Fruit Tree Fruit
• All Gems
• All Vegetables except Hops, Wheat, Tea Leaves, and Unmilled Rice

Universal Neutrals

• Bread
• Coral
• Duck Feather
• Fried Egg
• Hops
• Mystic Syrup
• Nautilus Shell
• Roe
• Squid Ink
• Sweet Gem Berry
• Tea Leaves
• Truffle
• Wheat
• Wool

Universal Dislikes

• Bone Fragment
• Cave Carrot
• Cinder Shard
• Coal
• Copper Bars
• Driftwood
• Field Snack
• Fireworks (Red, Green, and Purple)
• Gold Bars
• Gold Ore
• Iridium Bars
• Iridium Ore
• Iron Bars
• Jack-O-Lantern
• Oak Resin
• Oil
• Pine Tar
• Price Catalogue
• Qi Fruit
• Refined Quartz
• Rice
• Solar Essence
• Spring Onion
• Tea Set
• Unmilled Rice
• Vinegar
• Void Egg
• Void Essence
• Wheat Flour

Universal Hates

• Artifact Trove
• Blue Grass Starter
• Bug Steak
• Butterfly Powder
• Carp
• Cookout Kit
• Copper Ore
• Crab Pot
• Dragon Tooth
• Drum Block
• Energy Tonic
• Error Item
• Explosive Ammo
• Fairy Dust
• Flute Block
• Golden Bobber
• Golden Coconut
• Golden Mystery Box
• Golden Tag
• Grass Starter
• Green Algae
• Hay
• Iron Ore
• Journal Scrap
• Monster Musk
• Muscle Remedy
• Mystery Box
• Oil of Garlic
• Poppy
• Qi Seasoning
• Radioactive Bar
• Radioactive Ore
• Rain Totem
• Red Mushroom
• Sap
• Sea Urchin
• Seafoam Pudding
• Seaweed
• Secret Note
• Slime Eggs
• Snail
• Strange Bun
• Sugar
• Tent Kit
• Torch
• Void Mayonnaise
• Warp Totem: Beach
• Warp Totem: Desert
• Warp Totem: Farm
• Warp Totem: Island
• Warp Totem: Mountains
• White Algae
• All Bait
• All Fossils
• All Monster Loot except Solar Essence and Void Essence
• All Trash except Driftwood

A Prismatic Shard hits the loved tier for almost everyone, so once you find one, save it for whichever villager you are prioritizing that season. Keep an eye on the calendar for birthdays as well, since stacking a loved gift with the eight times multiplier can clear several hearts in a single delivery.