Good Eats in Ishgard

One allowance here buys 96,130 EXP, the best of the 6 Lv 40 Culinarian tradecraft leves that record EXP: the runner-up manages 69,350 EXP, 28% less.

Across that rung the return runs from 44,930 EXP to 96,130 EXP per allowance — 5 distinct figures spanning 114%, so the wrong pick leaves 51,200 EXP of the allowance unspent.

On whether to wait: the best Lv 45 Culinarian tradecraft leve returns 126,270 EXP per allowance, 31% more than the best on this rung, while the Lv 35 rung behind tops out at 79,780 EXP.

At Lv 40 this data holds 52 leves paying EXP across 2 categories: the 48 Tradecraft ones average 72,545 EXP per allowance, the 4 Fieldcraft ones 560,212 EXP, which puts this leve 33% above its own category's average.

Salt Cod Puffs ×3 is a Lv 42 Culinarian recipe, 3 steps deep through 4 intermediates, costing 11 units of raw material and 15 crystals.

Handing that in returns 8,739 EXP and 51 gil for every unit of raw material the order swallows, and the tree needs Alchemist and Culinarian.