Like Water for Chocolate

Ok what does that title even really mean? What? I just finished reading the book. It's been about a year since I finished watching the movie. I liked the story- I never thought food could be so romantic! Anyway- what the heck does "like water for chocolate" mean anyway? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Does watering down mean bad? Or is it a good thing for chocolate to have water- to be moist?

Ok I broke down and looked it up online. Thank you instant gratification knowledge and wikipedia. Article here.

Like Water for Chocolate's full title is: Like Water for Hot Chocolate: A novel in monthly installments with recipes, romances and home remedies.

The phrase "like water for chocolate" comes from the Spanish "como agua para chocolate". This phrase is a common expression in some Spanish speaking countries and was the inspiration for Laura Esquivel's novel title (the name has a double-meaning). In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, hot chocolate is made not with milk, but with water instead. Chocolate will only melt to create hot chocolate when the water reaches boiling point. The saying 'like water for chocolate' alludes to this fact. It can be used as a metaphor for describing a state of passion or - sometimes - sexual arousal. It may also be used to refer to anger, such as being 'boiling mad'. Tita actually uses the expression in the book when she says 'estoy como agua para chocolate' (I am like water for chocolate) meaning that she is boiling mad.

The Title could also mean that Tita is becoming bitter because chocolate is sweet and water has no taste, so it is literally like water for chocolate. Instead of something sweet she substitutes water for it.

Can we take a tangent here. Something about the wikipedia article bothers me. It's probably word use. Doesn't the sentence "instead of something sweet she substitutes water for it" sound like an awkward sentence? Oh well. End tangent.

Like water for chocolate is an interesting metaphor. So it can be good (extreme passion) or bad (extreme anger). Oh the world is full of so many interesting metaphors involving chocolate. But you learn something new everyday.

Anyway, the idea of hot chocolate made with water is intriguing. I would definitely want to try out some hot chocolate. Here's the recipe for hot chocolate in the book.

There's a very simple method for avoiding the aforementioned problems: heat a square of chocolate in water. The amount of water used should be a little more than enough to fill the cups. When the water comes to boil for the first time, remove it form the heat, and dissolve the chocolate completely, beat with a chocolate -mill until it is smoothly blended with the water. Return the pan to the stove. When it comes to a boil again and starts to boil over, remove it from the heat. Put it back on the heat and bring it to a boil a third time. Remove from the heat and beat the chocolate. Pour half into a little pitcher and beat the rest of it some more. Then serve it all, leaving the top covered with foam. Hot chocolate can also be made using milk instead of water, but in this case, it should only be brought to a boil once, and the second time it's heated it should be beaten so it doesn't get too thick. However, hot chocolate made with water is more digestible that that made with milk.

Hmm. I'll have to try it one day. And what is a chocolate mill anyway?

This is called a molinillo- a Mexican chocolate whisk. Interesting.