Like Water for Chocolate

Tita is born into a household where the youngest daughter cannot marry and must care for her mother. Nacha begins teaching her to cook, showing how emotion can be infused into dishes. The setting is the family ranch kitchen in the early 1900s, marking the rule's inception.

Pedro proclaims his love and asks to marry Tita, but Elena refuses and offers Rosaura instead. Tita watches in despair as the longstanding tradition dictates that she must remain unmarried and care for her mother. The moment happens on the family ranch, years after Tita's birth.

On Tita's birthday, Pedro's engagement to Rosaura is finalized, and his true reasons remain hidden. During the wedding, Elena forbids Tita from marrying Pedro, while the guests sense the tension as the wedding cake is shared. The moment culminates with Pedro professing his sincere feelings, and Nacha overhears the truth about Elena's affair.

Rosaura becomes pregnant, and Pedro brings Tita roses which Elena orders discarded. Tita uses petals to craft a rose sauce that intoxicates the table, and everyone except Rosaura feels the sensual effect. Gertrudis grows overheated, the shower house catches fire as she flees with Juan Alejandrez, and rumors declare she was forced into prostitution; Tita chooses to hide the truth. Chencha is troubled by the revelations, and Tita secretly sends Gertrudis her belongings.

Rosaura gives birth to a sickly son, Roberto, who is nursed by Tita with Pedro overseeing. Elena removes Rosaura, Pedro, and Roberto to Texas amidst suspicions of Tita's affair. Roberto dies, leaving Tita devastated and Elena's cold demeanor pushing her toward anger.

Tita spends seven days in the dovecote, symbolizing separation from Elena's domination. She is rescued by Dr. John Brown and brought to his Texas home for treatment, where she learns about healing and a tunnel of light. Brown proposes marriage, and Tita accepts, opening a new chapter away from the ranch.

Bandits invade the ranch, Chencha is raped, and Elena is killed by being pushed off a cliff. Tita and Brown return to prepare Elena's funeral and, in the process, discover Elena's lover in a locket, revealing the hidden romance. The event marks a brutal upheaval for the family.

At Elena's funeral, Rosaura gives birth to Esperanza; the baby refuses Rosaura's care and is nursed by Tita. Rosaura becomes infertile and imposes the family tradition on Esperanza, shaping her future and the family dynamics. Tita's role as nurse endures even as the younger generation faces constraint.

Pedro grows jealous of Tita's engagement to Doctor Brown and sneaks into her room for sex, creating guilt for both. Tita confesses the affair to Doctor Brown, who forgives and remains with her. Rosaura confronts Tita about the relationship and asserts the family rules over Esperanza's marriage.

Years later, Gertrudis returns as a military general with Juan and their squad to the ranch. Tita resists Elena's control, and in a confrontation she banishes Elena, symbolically breaking the old order. The family power dynamics shift as the younger generation asserts itself.

Esperanza marries Doctor Brown's son, signaling a closing of the old traditions. Pedro awakens to find Rosaura dead, releasing Esperanza from the family constraint, and he and Tita begin to rekindle their relationship. They retreat to the guest house, but Pedro dies of a heart attack during their encounter, ending Tita's love story with him.

Tita's life ends in tragedy as she dies by suicide after Pedro's death, and the property burns. Esperanza discovers Tita's cookbook and preserves it as a legacy for her daughter, linking the generations. The final narrator reveals she is Esperanza's daughter, ensuring the cycle continues through recipes.