To enter Candlekeep, a would-be scholar must present a written work that the library does not already possess—a significant challenge given that Candlekeep has perhaps the most extensive collection of books and lore in all of Faerûn. Whenever a new arrival comes to the gates with an offering, runners are dispatched to search the stacks and make sure the offered text is unique.
Experts in the culinary arts may have some advantage here, as a book of original recipes counts as a written work. At least one seeker has been granted entry to Candlekeep by sitting for 3 days on a rock in front of the keep and writing down recipes. All the recipes were his own innovations, and one was for this radical cocktail with dark vinegar and a tarragon garnish that was intended to resemble a Candlekeep inkpot with a quill.