Like Water for Chocolate

The chapter begins with a recipe for Christmas rolls. The unnamed narrator explains the proper technique for chopping onions for the rolls, which reminds her of the story of her great aunt Tita’s miraculous birth. Josefita “Tita” De la Garza was born prematurely on the kitchen table of her family ranch, as her mother Mama Elena sobbed over onions. Tita is born crying from the onions, the floor soaked with tears from mother and baby. The cook Nacha observes the scene, and when she tells the story to others, she says there was enough salt from the tears to fill a bag. The narrator states, “Thanks to her unusual birth, Tita felt a deep love for the kitchen, where she spent most of her life from the day she was born” (4). Tita’s father died two days after she was born, and her mother grieved. Unable to feed her daughter, she entrusts Nacha with the responsibility. Tita develops a diverse palate from an early age and learns everything there is to know about cooking from Nacha. The narrator states Tita has a keen “sixth sense” about food and often experiences strong emotions while cooking.