Hans Peter Meyer

Special to The Record

What did Harvey and Jesus Miller miss most about living in Mexico (besides the sun)? Real corn tortillas.

They鈥檇 returned to the Comox Valley and were operating a small breakfast and lunch restaurant. Jesus started making tortillas for personal use, and for the restaurant. Soon, they were selling more tortillas than breakfasts. Putting the restaurant behind them, they鈥檝e been making tortillas full-on ever since.

More than tortillas

But tortillas aren鈥檛 the only thing you鈥檒l find  at Abuelo鈥檚.

鈥淲e sell chips, salsa, refried beans, mango salsa, pineapple salsa, pico de gallo 鈥� the traditional tomato salsa,鈥� Harvey says.

They also sell salsa verde, made with tomatillos, cilantro, serano peppers, and garlic grown on their property. If you鈥檙e lucky, you鈥檒l also find chimmichurri sauce, a piquant parsley and chile blend often associated with Argentinean asados.

Comox Valley Farmers鈥� Market roots

Outside the restaurant, the Market was the first place that Jesus and Harvey started selling their product.

Today, you鈥檒l find Abuelo鈥檚 products in over 30 retail stores on the Island and in Vancouver. You鈥檒l see their tortillas on menus in many finer restaurants 鈥� 15 of them, from Anglers鈥� Inn in Campbell River to Wild Poppy Bistro in Ladysmith. On Hornby Island, their blue tortillas are so popular in the summer that Verizo Espresso sells 100 dozen a week!

Success doesn鈥檛 mean Abuelo鈥檚 has left the Market. You鈥檒l see Harvey and Jesus every Saturday, inside and out. Harvey says the market gives them direct contact with customers, in a way that retail and restaurants can鈥檛.

鈥淲e get to hear what people like, and why,鈥� Harvey says. 鈥淲e  also get to introduce new products.鈥�

New flavours, what a good reason to visit the market!

FMI see AbuelosCornTortillas.com.