Ispent the first years of my life beside the hearth in my mother’s and grandmother’s kitchens, seeing how these wise women, upon entering those sacred places, became priestesses, great alchemists who dealt with water, air, fire, and earth—the four basic elements that comprise the entire universe. and the most surprising thing is that they did it in the most humble manner, as if they weren’t doing anything, as if they weren’t transforming the world with the purifying power of fire, as if they didn’t know that the foods they prepared and the rest of us ate remained in our bodies for many hours, chemically altering our organisms, nourishing our souls and our spirits and giving us an identity, a language, a legacy. what does the passage reveal about gender roles in esquivel’s culture?

women work in the kitchen to prepare meals but are humble about their work.
women are great priestesses and alchemists who work with the elements.
women are seen as sacred and holy priestesses of the earth.
the passage doesn’t discuss gender roles.