How to eat Medellín, with "Tulio Recomienda"
Fotographys by @tuliorecomienda
Who is Tulio Zuluaga?
Making a biography of Tulio is ambitious since his extensive experience in gastronomy and the media make him not only one of the most important validators in the country but also a philanthropist, an entrepreneur, a “kitchen poet” as they say on his Instagram account, which with his almost four million followers on social networks and his innovative ideas, has managed to mobilize the economy of hundreds of entrepreneurs who with their flavors and cuisine, proudly show the best of Colombia. Today Tulio has become, with his “Tulio Recomienda” communities, one of the most followed food bloggers in Colombia and Latin America.
This is why touring the flavors of Medellín to decipher what this mountainous, tropical, diverse city tastes like, by the hand of Tulio has been for us an honor and an excuse to invite those who inhabit the city, and also those who visit us to eat Medellín.
Gastronomic tour of Medellín with ¨Tulio Recomienda¨
On this journey through some of the most iconic places to eat in Medellín, our first stop takes us to Mercado del Río, the first gastronomic market in Colombia: an experience that allows us to taste flavors from different regions of the world through more than 30 gastronomic offers, two breweries and a wine bar for wine lovers.
Our next journey through the flavors of the world makes a break at home to try the most traditional of Antioquia gastronomy at the Hacienda Restaurant, a mountain dish or paisa tray with the most traditional ingredients of our cuisine; beans, rice, fried egg, blood sausage, chorizo, arepa and our favorite and Tulio’s: chicharrón!
From La Hacienda we come to El Cielo, a revolutionary restaurant for involving all the senses through its proposal of creative signature cuisine in which, through multi-sensory experiences, it invites us to sit at the table to enjoy the authentic flavors of Modern Colombian food that only one of the top 50 restaurants in Latin America can offer.
But no gastronomic experience in any city in the world would be complete without experiencing street food stalls made under the open sky; food like that of La Churris, a traditional food cook who captivates with the seasoning of the flavors of our region and who offers the best of her cuisine in the Central Mayorista de Antioquia, the main food supply center in the region.
In our second to last experience on this gastronomic tour with Tulio through Medellín, we reached La Fonda de Albeiro in the municipality of Envigado, metropolitan area of the city, where they were waiting for us with a generous and delicious triphasic sancocho (that is, with three types of meat) cooked in firewood. According to Tulio himself, ¨the perfect sancocho for those who visit Colombia¨.
And finally, in this list of seven incredible places to discover the flavor of our city and region, we had the opportunity to visit the Mercado Campesinos de Medellín, itinerant markets located in 21 parks and squares of the city to offer to those who visit them, products that the peasants of the townships of Medellín grow or transform; Flowers, crafts, vegetables, and typical foods adorn the market that promises a charming and delicious Sunday morning and that benefits more than 203 rural producers and indirectly more than 700 rural families of Medellín.
¡Papa Master, papá!
Since November 5, 2020, and for ten days, Tulio has been sharing 10 potato-based recipes on his social networks to stimulate their consumption and face the crisis currently suffered by potato growers in the country. Be a good potato, eat potato, and be part of the solution.
Also read: Top of cafes you must visit in Medellín