The novel follows the story of a young woman named Tita, who longs for her beloved, Pedro, but can never have him because of her mother's upholding of the family tradition: the youngest daughter cannot marry, but instead must take care of her mother until she dies. Tita is only able to express herself when she cooks. The book has inspired a 1992 film of the same name, a ballet, and a 2024 TV series; 2 sequels were written by Esquivel. It was named by Spanish periodical El Mundo as one of the best Spanish-language novels of the 20th century.