Like Water for Chocolate 

1992
Romance/Drama
2 hr 3 min
Rated R – Spanish subtitles
Streaming on Amazon Prime, AppleTV+

This stunning story takes place in a Mexican border town, circa 1910, during the Mexican revolution. Tita and Pedro fall deeply in love at an early age. Sadly, they are never to marry as Tita is the youngest daughter, and by tradition she is charged with taking care of her fearsome mother until death. 

Like the best-selling novel of the same name by Laura Esquivel, the movie continues the Latin tradition of magical realism. Tita is heartbroken and throws herself into cooking, her emotions spilling over into every morsel of the food she prepares. An intense world of passion and romance comes together with a splash of comedy and many gastronomical delights.

Narrated by Tita’s great niece, she describes how, through the years, Aunt Tita’s kitchen produced extraordinary miracles. Tita’s legend survives along with her well-worn recipes. 

“Like water for chocolate” refers to the Mexican expression “como agua para chocolate”–a state of being on the verge of boiling over with intense emotion, anger, or arousal–perfectly encapsulating the emotional state of Tita throughout the movie.

The result is as rich and savory as Mexican hot chocolate.

Like Water for Chocolate earned 10 Ariel (Mexican Academy) Awards, including Best Picture. A Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, it became the highest-grossing foreign film ever released in the US. 

Note: A reimagining of this critically acclaimed film is featured in a 6-episode series on HBO Max. Executive produced by Salma Hayek Pinault, the series focuses on the shared sensuality of romance and food in this enduring and classic love story. 

Magic Moon rates Like Water for Chocolate 4 1/2 Moons out of 5. 

Like Water For Chocolate Movie

Here are a couple of traditional Mexican recipes for your enjoyment. 

Champandongo

Champandongo

(a flavorful, layered, beef casserole)

  • 2 Tbs olive oil 
  • 1 lb. ground beef chuck 
  • 1 white onion, chopped 
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cups walnuts, chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried pineapple, chopped 
  • 1/4 cup red or black mole*- plus more for garnish/topping
  • 6 oz queso fresco (or manchego/Monterey Jack) grated/thinly sliced 
  • 2 tsp cumin 
  • 1/2 cup beef stock 
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, thinned with milk
  • 9+ corn tortillas
  • Fresh basil and avocado for garnish
  • *Dona Maria bottled mole sauce available at Safeway

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion and meat. Add tomatoes, nuts, pineapple, mole, cumin, and stock. Stir/simmer for 10 minutes on medium. Do not overcook. Salt to taste. Spread half of the sour cream on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer 2 -3 tortillas on cream, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread 1/3 of the meat mixture over tortillas. Layer 1/3 of cheese over meat. Repeat layers of tortillas, meat and cheese ending with remaining sour cream and cheese. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees until bubbly around edges. Garnish with fresh avocado and basil if desired. Serves 6 – 8 

Mexican Hot Chocolate

  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk (sub almond/oat milk if you prefer)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, + more for garnish
  • Pinch of cayenne and/or chile powder(optional) 
  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, + more for garnish
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
  • Pinch of kosher salt 
  • Marshmallows for serving

Whisk to combine milk, cinnamon, cayenne in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until small bubbles appear. Remove pan from heat, whisk in chocolate, vanilla and salt until chocolate is melted. Divide into mugs & top with marshmallows, cinnamon sprinkles and chopped chocolate. Yum.