Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico blends poignant romance, bittersweet wit, and delicious recipes.

This classic love story takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops onions at the kitchen table in her final days of pregnancy. While still in her mother's womb, her daughter to be weeps so violently she causes an early labor, and little Tita slips out amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon becomes a way of life, and Tita grows up to be a master chef, using cooking to express herself and sharing recipes with readers along the way.

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Published Oct 1, 1995

256 pages

Average rating: 7.07

203 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Annie.S
May 17, 2025
8/10 stars
I loved the family drama and dynamics of this story. A great insight into generational trauma and legacy.
Roxanne_Debris
Apr 28, 2025
5/10 stars
SPOILER One of the characters farts herself to death and that was my favorite part
IsaZarur
Jan 14, 2025
10/10 stars
I re-read this book every couple of years. I finished this read in one sitting I couldn’t put it down.
Danicha
Jul 04, 2024
9/10 stars
Loved the cookbook metaphors and how they were intertwined with the story! The story is very well written (I read it in Spanish) and it’s highly engaging! I read it cover to cover in a week! I was not a fan of the ending, but I enjoyed the story anyway.
Anonymous
Dec 04, 2023
4/10 stars
This quick read is a romantic fable centered around a traditional Mexican family. Fables are generally great exaggerations that are meant to tell how things come to be. This is no exception.

Tita, the youngest daughter of Mama Elena, is destined to never marry and to take care of her mother until she dies. This is the tradition of the family. Tita ends up finding love in Pedro, but is forbidden to marry him. Pedro instead marries Tita's older sister so he can stay close. A complicated mess, but somehow it works out.

Tita is a gifted cook and, through some fable-y magic, imbues her moods into her cooking. When she is happy and passionate, her food makes everyone passionate. When she is sad, everyone eating her food ends up crying and upset.

This isn't the type of book I normally enjoy and while it was entertaining, it's not in my top books. I appreciate the recipes given but they appeared right in the middle of the stories and just seemed odd.

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