De Mi Abuelita Gourmet: Locally Produced Food & Delivery

The brain-child of Medellín native Tata Valencia, De Mi Abuelita Gourmet sources homegrown organic vegetables and other locally produced products – including many lovingly handmade by herself – and delivers them direct to your door. I was ecstatic to recently be introduced to De Mi Abuelita Gourmet by my roommate Bryan.

The above photo is an example of organic produce from De Mi Abuelita Gourmet that arrives direct to my home each week.

Over the last few years, I’ve consciously been aiming to consume more organic, locally produced food. In tandem, I’ve been trying to reduce my consumption of packaged and processed products. The aim is to help limit the amount of chemicals, pesticides and metals that I accumulate in my body. Hopefully it will keep me healthier too.

Plus, the more natural foods I eat, seems like the more I find that it just tastes better.

A nomadic life wreaks havoc with this aspiration. As a result of being nomadic, it takes time in each new country to become familiar with the available products in the supermarket. And it is even harder to find local organic produce.

On top of that, not having a car means lugging back large amounts of produce in heavy shopping bags through crowded public transport systems. All a challenge.

Fresh organic asparagus is delivered in recycled paper, ready to be grilled

The Farm to Table Concept

Providing locally produced products to the residents of Medellín is at the heart of De Mi Abuelita Gourmet’s business values.

All of the produce and products are either grown or handmade right here in Antioquia. Eggs are from a local farmer. And the pork sausages are from a family run business that has been making them for generations. In addition, eggplant antipasto is matured in olive oil and tarragon and locally produced in Medellín.

The farm to table concept not only aims to provide the freshest food to its customers. Also, the business provides a much-needed distribution network for local farmers needing to sell their goods.

In fact, Tata didn’t seek out this business, it sought her out. She was repeatedly asked by friends if they knew of a way to distribute and sell their products. After numerous approaches, she finally decided to set up De Mi Abuelita Gourmet.

Organic eggs, fresh cheese and handmade arepas are all available for home delivery from De Mi Abuelita

Available Products at De Mi Abuelita Gourmet

All of De Mi Abuelita’s products come from a collection of family friends that have individually specific products to sell and require a centralized distribution system to get them to the residents of Medellín.

Enjoy fresh Colombian cheese delivered direct to your door from De Mi Abuelita Gourmet

To this end, the selection isn’t as extensive as you’d find at Pricemart for instance. However, it is broad enough to serve some basic kitchen needs. De Mi Abuelita Gourmet is competing with SiembraViva, which also does home delivery of organic produce but with a bigger selection

De Mi Abuelita Gourmet offers organic asparagus, portobello mushrooms and eggs from the produce range. Fresh items include locally made pork sausages and cheeses. Organic Italian eggplant antipasto in olive oil and tarragon are part of the store cupboard items on offer, along with fresh guava preserves, made from one of the many exotic fruits in Colombia.

Homemade patacones from De Mi Abuelita Gourmet

And if you are looking for some Colombian delicacies, De Mi Abuelita Gourmet delivers arepas,  patacones, and pan de queso – a traditional bread or roll from the Paisa region that is made with tapioca flour and grated cheese.

Locally made pork sausages are dished up with Colombian patacones from De Mi Abuelita Gourmet

My favorite items for purchase though are Tata’s baked goods. Handmade with lots of love using her grandmother’s traditional recipes, the carrot cake and banana bread (suitable for diabetics) are made from scratch at the time of your order. So, they arrive fresh from the oven. And more importantly for me, they do not contain any preservatives or dyes.

Tata’s homemade banana bread is handmade with love and is suitable for diabetics

Tata is currently focused on creating demand for her existing range of products. However, she does plan to expand into seasonal products. For example, she soon hopes to offer in-season avocados. An addition to the range that I’m anxiously awaiting!

The other thing that I admire about De Mi Abuelita Gourmet is their environmental focus. Where possible, all the products are delivered in environmentally friendly packaging.

De Me Abuelita Gourmet Product List

This super moist carrot cake from De Mi Abuelita is the best available in Medellín

A Passion for Food

I am a carrot cake eating addict.  My extensive consumption – and attempt at baking them myself over the years – I believe, qualifies me as an aficionado.  And this is how I first feel in love with De Mi Abuelita Gourmet.

One afternoon, day two into my new diet, I arrived home to find three-quarters of a 15-inch carrot cake perched on the kitchen counter.  The chunky layers looked moist and spongy.  The thin cream cheese icing had a hint of orange smell and was topped with freshly grated carrots.

I looked around.  No one was watching.  I chiseled off a wafer-thin slice to avoid detection.  What I tasted was one bite away from orgasmic.  In that one little mouthful, I could tell that this carrot cake had been homemade, with love and the freshest possible ingredients. I couldn’t resist – and didn’t care whose cake it was – I instantly proceeded to hack off a wedge and devoured it standing up with my fingers.

The quality of Tata’s baked goods demonstrates how passionate she is about bringing her cooking back to a natural state.  Furthermore, all of her cakes are made without additives, preservatives and food dyes.  Ingredients which are now common place in store bought goods. And the difference can be tasted in every mouthful.

Homemade guava preserves are a delicious addition to any meal

Tata is also passionate about cooking. And she hopes that home deliveries of fresh produce and local products will inspire more individuals to get back into the kitchen. Born and raised in Antioquia, Tata has always loved to bake and cook for her family. In addition, she believes that sharing a home-cooked meal with friends and family have a way of bonding individuals in a way that nothing else can. I agree with her.

And it’s these exact traditional values that inspired the name De Mi Abuelita Gourmet. Literally translated as From My Granny, all the bakery items that Tata makes use recipes that were passed down to her from her mother, using Tata’s grandmother’s methods.

Tata has made a couple of secret adjustments to these traditional family recipes, but they still retain their family heritage.

It is that tradition, love and quality ingredients that make the baked goods – particularly the carrot cake – so special. For the record, my roommate and I devoured that entire carrot cake by ourselves in three days.

A home cooked Sunday brunch using De Mi Abuletia’s Happy Eggs, locally produced sausages, and organic asparagus

Try it For Yourself

Tata’s focus on family values has had an impact on me. Or maybe it’s the constantly stocked fridge bursting with organic eggs, sausages, mushrooms and asparagus. Maybe it was both.

Either way, our apartment’s weekly delivery of fresh produce has inspired me to do more cooking. And in-turn it developed into more shared meals with my own foreign family here in Medellín. And through these encounters, lasting friendships have developed amongst previous strangers.

Just this past Sunday, I whipped up some sausage, mushroom and egg muffins, with a side of grilled asparagus to share with my roommates. I usually go out for brunch in Medellín on a Sunday.

But enjoying a home-cooked brunch instead, reminded me that the most cherished moments in life are with our families and friends. And the happiest of those moments are over a healthy, home-cooked meal.

To make your own Sunday brunch for family and friends, try this sausage, egg muffin recipe using Tata’s organic portobello mushrooms, pork sausages, farm eggs and organic asparagus

How to Order from De Mi Abuelita Gourmet

Orders can be placed directly with Tata on Fridays and Saturdays. While deliveries are made on the following Wednesdays and Thursdays. In addition, standing orders can be set up for weekly deliveries.

Message Tata with your order via WhatsApp on 311-748-4909 or by Direct at @demiabuelita.

Delivery cost is 7,000 pesos for El Poblado, Envigado, and San Diego. Also, the cost is incrementally higher for areas outside this.

In addition, you can alternately connect with Tata on Facebook or Instagram.