Grandmothers hold a special place in so many families — and specifically in Latino homes, the abuela is often the glue that holds households together, allowing for her family members to chase the American dream while not forgetting where they came from.
On Tuesday on TODAY, Tom Llamas caught up with women taking the lessons their grandmothers taught them to new heights, embarking on comedic adventures and culinary splendor all in honor of their abuelas.
One Cuban American woman who grew up in Miami uses her childhood experiences as the basis for an alter ego getting a lot of attention on social media. The character, Abuela, is the brainchild of actor and producer Jenny Lorenzo in homage to her real life Cuban grandmother.
“It’s funny, because when I would meet my friends’s abuelas, I’m like, ‘Y’all are the same. What is going on?’” Lorenzo told Tom. “A lot of it is just in the facial expressions. Especially her judgment stare. Like, you know, just pierce right through your soul.”
Lorenzo’s 232,000-plus YouTube subscribers and 261,000 Instagram followers have watched her take her Abuela character to relatable extremes, racking up millions of views in the process. Viewers can laugh and empathize with her abuela as she rushes to administer flu remedies, enjoy a Thanksgiving meal and show what happens when you refuse an abuela’s food.
Humor isn’t the only way that abuelas are being honored in the digital age, either. Wanting to create a space where the techniques and recipes that their abuelas instilled in them could be shared with a wider audience, Abuela’s Cuban Counter aims to do just that.
Posting recipes on their website and on social media, chef Ani Mezerhane and lawyer Cristina Bustamante help their followers to learn to cook authentic Cuban food.
“It comes from an idea we started working together (during) COVID, just passing recipes together, and just trying to keep alive all the…
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