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When you're Cuban, life is empty without your cortadito in the morning, or your galleticas con guayaba y queso in the afternoon. Both are easy to find here in the 305, but think about your poor primo in Nebraska (because yes, there are Cubans in Nebraska). Finding those snacks, grooming essentials, games, and knick-knacks from his childhood is impossible without a little help from Amazon or mom. But now, you can send him his very own Cuban care package every month, thanks to Abuela Mami.
Launched right in time for the holidays, Abuela Mami is a local company that takes the trouble out of curating the ultimate Cuban care package by doing it for you. For a monthly fee of $24.95, you'll receive a parcel of Cuban goodies at your doorstep around the middle of every month. Each box follows a theme– one might be dedicated to your Cuban coffee ritual in the morning, complete with a cafetera, a tacita, and a big container of Bustelo; another month might bring you everything you need for a Cuban game night, like dominos, malta, and chorizo. There's even a package with kitchen tools, so you can get to mashing those plátanos and fabricating the perfect flán.
We know what you're thinking– "Pero, why didn't I think of that?" It's because you never needed to. Humberto Carlos Valdes, the company's founder, did.
"I grew up in Miami and was up in New York for work. I realized it was hard to find Cuban stuff," he says. "I went to the supermarket to find a cafetera, a Cuban coffee pot, and couldn't find one. My mom got rid of hers, so when she came to visit she brought me one from my grandmother. It was kind of like an abuela/mami care package. When I moved back down to Miami earlier this year, I thought 'I'm sure there's people who like Cuban culture that live elsewhere,' so I decided to make abuelamami.com."
And so Abuela Mami was born to bring you a little piece of Cuban culture wrapped up in a box. You can ship it to yourself, or you could ship it to a friend internationally. And if you're questioning the authenticity of the box, don't sweat it. Humby, as Valdez is most commonly known, has brought on his mom and abuela as consultants, to ensure that only the most genuine products and brands land at your doorstep.
Don't let another day go by void of merenguitos or the coffee you remember from La Carreta's ventanita. Ship yourself a cardboard container of Cuban delicacies right now.