In turn of the century Mexico there is a blossoming, but forbidden, love between Tita and Pedro. Forbidden because Tita, as the youngest daughter of Mama Elena must, by family tradition, remain at home, unmarried, to look after her mother into old age and as Elena says, she won’t have her daughter be the one to break that tradition. In an oddly romantic gesture, Pedro accepts Elena’s’s offer of another daughter’s hand in marriage so that he may stay near to Tita. Unsurprisingly, this causes some complications in the family and a story which spans the generations.

If you can stand the heat get in the kitchen for director Alfonso Arau’s piping hot, straight from the oven, saucy serving of Laura Esquivel’s novel of the same name. Not so much a romance as a love story, and not so much erotic as sensual, this hot as a tamale Mexican treat is a dish best served sizzling. Set in a small Mexican ranch in 1910, this tale of star-crossed lovers has more kick to it than the usual fare and is far more palatable for it. In an epic and ill-fated love story worthy of any of the Classics, dashing young fellow with a grand head of hair, Pedro (Marco Leonardi) falls for not so much beautiful as pretty with a mischievous glint, widow’s daughter, Tita (Lumi Cavazos). Unfortunately for the pair, wicked Mama Elena (Regina Torne) forbids the union because of the cruel family tradition and so poor Tita must look on, Cinderella-like from the kitchen where most of her life is spent, as dull sister with digestive problems, Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi), gets to wed her beau instead. Though this is not where this story ends, there is far more in store in this epic tale than love-lorn looks and frosty glances.

Much like our own period romps, Like Water For Chocolate (the literal translation of Mexican title Como Agua Para Chocolate, a saying used in reference to a state of sexual excitement) is more heaving bosoms than full-on sex scenes. But it is its boiling passion and cheeky humour that lift this to another level from our own tales of stiff upper lip’s and great Brirish reserve. Brimming with warmth, spirit and life, Like Water For Chocolate is a fairytale-like story narrated by Tita’s great niece who tells this matri-focal tale like it’s the stuff of legends, passed through generations of a family from female to female like an age-old recipe. And like an age-old recipe, you suspect it may have little touches added along the way but at its heart remains something unique and wholesome.
There is some great chracterisation in this film and wonderfully strong female leads. Quietly mischievous Tita and foppish and mildly pathetic Pedro are nicely matched by other couple of Tita’s gutsy flame-haired sister Gertrudis (Claudette Maille) and her rugged revolutionary on a horse husband, Juan (Rodolfo Arias). Fairytale elements are helped along by Kindly cook Nacha (Ada Carasco,) friendly helper Chencha (Pilar Aranda,) and of course, evil matriarch and self professed ‘crack-shot with a short fuse,’

Mama Elena. The culinary link gives it a gloriously earthy sensuality linked to nurturing femininity where women wobbled, loved to eat and ate to love and men looked on with desire. Though there is a lot of sadness, too, its tongue-in-cheek humour lifts it from any melodrama and bad things are not dwelt upon for long. Similarly, the humour takes the edge off the love story as the film has a wonderfully cheeky way of poking fun at itself, meaning it never gets too slushy. Though this isn’t so much a romance as a love story, and one beautifully tinged with magic and Mexican mysticism and bathed in the warmth of Nacha’s oven making it as visually delightful as Tita and Pedro’s love.

A grand love story set in the days when men were strong and silent and the women even more so. Finger licking, rump-spankingly delicious, Like Water For Chocolate really is ‘a feast for the senses’