Abigail Bernardino

Meet Abigail Bernardino, who has participated in the Mercado since May 2019 with her brothers Felipe de Jesús and Ricardo Bernardino. Since the beginning of the Mercado, Abigail has been sharing various Mexican delicacies including tacos de carne asada (grilled beef tacos) and tacos al pastor (marinated pork in red mild sauce with pineapple).

Born in Acapulco, Guerrero, Abigail finds that making these tacos connects her to her homeland through the memories that are conjured up by cooking them. Sharing these dishes as small vessels of Acapulco with her current community is not only unique but feels necessary for Abigail. “In my childhood, every time the family got together, tacos were always present. I grew up in that environment, and without realizing it, I gradually developed a love for tacos.”

In an effort to preserve this tradition, Abigail hopes to establish a business. She says, “I want to have a steady job that represents what I enjoy doing.The support of my brothers motivates me because they are always present with me in every Mercado.” That being said, Abigail is very excited to set up her business, which might turn into a taco stand. Her first step was choosing the name of her business: “Tacos Basilio.”

The name serves two purposes: to show gratitude to her uncle, the man who taught Abigail how to make tacos, and to honor his own business that he ran in Mexico. Abigail uses the same recipes that she learned from her uncle to share a part of herself with the Mercado visitors.