Chiles en Nogada inspired by Like Water for Chocolate | #FoodnFlix

It all begins with a pregnant Mama Elena chopping onions. From inside the womb, Tita begins to cry, and doesn't stop until she is pushed into this world by a torrid stream of tears.  They  overflow from the kitchen table (where she was birthed) to the kitchen floor. The ocean of tears is eventually evaporated by the sun, at which point Nacha sweeps them up and fills a 40-pound sack with them. And, of course, then they're used in cooking for a long time.

Ummm, ewww. While vivid and descriptive, it's actually pretty gross when you think about it. I mean, those tears were mixed with amniotic fluid and who-knows-what else. So, let's not think about it. Let's just take it as the beginning of a very luscious, very sensual, very dark and tragic film.

Tita's kitchen birth foreshadows what will be her life. Bound by an old family tradition, Tita is forbidden to marry. Since she is the youngest daughter, she is not allowed to marry, and it is her duty to care for her mother until her mother's death. So, Tita thrives under the beloved family cook's love and tutelage.