Circular Medellín: how we lived Raíces Comestibles, a journey to rediscover the city through its flavors

On April 19 we lived the first edition of Circular Medellín: Raíces Comestibles, an experience created to walk through the city from a different perspective: that of ingredients, markets, and the stories that live behind each food.

For two hours we immersed ourselves in Plaza Minorista José María Villa, one of Medellín's most emblematic places for understanding how the city's daily life flows. Among exotic fruits, aromas, colors, and spontaneous conversations, we discovered that gastronomy is much more than what arrives at our table: it is territory, culture, and memory.

The walk was guided by Luis Daniel Vargas, gastronome and professional chef, who shared knowledge about local products, their origins, and the relationships that exist between cooking, communities, and the landscapes the food comes from.

As we made our way through the market's aisles, participants had the chance to try different fruits, talk with vendors, and approach a Medellín that often goes unnoticed even for those who live here. It was an invitation to look more carefully at what we usually take for granted.

One of the most special parts of the experience was discovering how market plazas remain living spaces of encounter, exchange, and hospitality. Places where stories circulate as naturally as products, and where each stall holds knowledge built over generations.

Although Medellín has become an increasingly attractive destination for travelers from all over the world, experiences like this remind us that the city's essence is not only in its major tourist attractions, but also in the spaces where its residents' everyday life unfolds.

For those who joined, Raíces Comestibles was a chance to become tourists of their own city. For those visiting us from elsewhere, it was an authentic way to approach paisa culture through one of its most universal languages: food.

At Circular we believe that inhabiting a city also means understanding it. That's why we continue creating experiences that let us connect with the territories, people, and stories that make urban life possible.

Thank you to everyone who joined this walk. We leave with new conversations, new learnings, and the certainty that some of the best ways to get to know a city begin in a market plaza.