Laura Esquivel’s infamous novel, Como Agua Para Chocolate, hit the big streaming platform Max on November 3rd. The adaptation stars Azul Guaita as Tita, Ana Valeria Becerril as Rosaura, Andrea Chaparro as Gertrudis, Irene Azuela as Mamá Elena, and Ángeles Cruz as Nacha. The magical realism tale is set in the times of the Mexican Revolution. Many of the dishes and recipes that are created depict the traditional timeline. The scenery and costumes give more context on the time period.
Tita
She is the youngest daughter of Mamá Elena. From a young age, her mom never respected her or valued her as much as her other daughters, Rosaura and Gertrudis. When Tita was playing with the other children of the town in a corn maze, she fell in love with Pedro. She had the special talent of transmitting her emotions through her cooking. Since Mamá Elena hardly paid attention to her, Nacha the maid taught Tita everything there is to know about the kitchen. When she would see Pedro she would prepare Torrejas de Nata or Quesadillas. Whomever ate the dishes she prepared would feel exactly what she felt when making them.
Gertrudis
She is the middle daughter of Mamá Elena. In comparison to the compassionate Tita and obedient Rosaura, Gertrudis has a rebellious spirit. Due to the time period, it was uncommon to be a woman who engrossed male attention and had fun. She represents early feminism and how a woman is able to take the reins of her life. Gertrudis constantly supports Tita. After Tita was upset over an argument with Mamá Elena, Gertrudis went to console her. They both seek to leave the hacienda because of their controlling mother.
Rosaura
She is the oldest and is perceived as Mamá Elena’s favorite. Everytime Tita talks about her love with Pedro and how excited she is to have a life with him, Rosaura is eavesdropping. When Pedro and Tita reconciled at the party in the first episode, Rosaura watched from a corner. She is compliant with whatever Mamá Elena says, since she has her best interest at heart.
Mamá Elena
She is the mother of Rosaura, Gertrudis, and Tita. She is also a force to be reckoned with. Mamá Elena is a harsh parental figure and expects discipline from each one of her daughters. When Pedro asks for Tita’s hand in marriage, Mamá Elena firmly declines. She says that Tita is to live with her until she dies. Another instance that shows Mamá Elena’s cold heart is when she prohibits Tita from going to Nacha’s funeral. She represents a repressed individual who is willing to hold a grudge for as long as she lives.
Nacha
She is the maid and cook of the hacienda, but most of all she is Tita’s non biological mother. Nacha prepared the fourteen plates Mamá Elena ordered her to cook for Rosaura’s wedding. She always listened to Tita and wanted her happiness. In the second episode when she bakes the Pastel de Chabela, she cries and cries as she remembers the nostalgia of the love she never had. Nacha had fallen in love with one of the workers of the hacienda, but Mamá Elena told him to run away because he is distracting Nacha from her duties.
Pedro
He is Tita’s soulmate, and unfortunately Rosaura’s husband (thus far). Pedro met Tita when they were childrenb. When he grew older, his dad sent him away. His dad was involved in government affairs while Pedro sought justice for the corrupt officials. When he returned to the town, not only was Tita upset at him for never writing her letters, but his dad wanted him to fulfill a role he despised. After Tita and Pedro rekindle their love, he continues to plan how to overthrow the current government and marry Tita. He makes a deal with his father over asking for Tita’s hand, knowing that Mamá Elena is very upset at him for a past incident. When the moment occurred and Mamá Elena declined Pedro’s offer, he suggested marrying Rosaura. In the second episode, he finds Tita at Nacha’s funeral reaffirming that he still loves her despite being married to her older sister.
Aside from the complex characters, the scenery and costumes are amazing. Salma Hayek Pinault executed the perfect vision for the novel. Laura Esquivel heavily includes magical realism throughout the plot and it is hard to project that onto the big screen. Nonetheless, the music and editing of the series allowed for the magic to come to life.
A movie called Like Water for Chocolate was released in 1992 by Alonso Arau and had a lot of success. However, I believe that the format of a series helps the viewer to learn in depth the story of each character, as well as create an attachment to them. The HBO Max series is still being aired with a new episode every Sunday. The TV show consists of six episodes with the season finale airing on December 8th. I’m personally a huge fan of period dramas, and the romantic aspects of the show with the magical elements makes it one of my new favorites.