In Salvador, Bahia, Dona Flor (Sônia Braga) is a respectable cooking teacher married to Vadinho (José Wilker), a charming, irresponsible gambler and womanizer who drops dead during Carnival. Though Vadinho was a neglectful, deceitful husband, Flor harbored intense physical passion for him. Following a period of mourning, Flor marries Dr. Teodoro Madureira (Mauro Mendonça), a polite, stable, and respectable pharmacist. While Teodoro provides her with respectability and security, his lovemaking lacks the fire and passion of her late husband. Unfulfilled sexually, Flor's longing accidentally summons the naked ghost of Vadinho back to Earth on the anniversary of his death. Only Flor can see and feel Vadinho, leaving her torn between her duty to her living husband and the supernatural sexual desire of her deceased spouse.