Nuestra Historia
I wanted to bring something to the marketplace that not only reflected our culture and heritage but also reflected our lived experiences as Mexican immigrants. - Diana Rios Jasso, Founder
¿Quien Somos? Who are we?
Jarabe is an inspiration from my childhood upbringing of seeing my father sell paletas in the streets of East Los Angeles - a story of humility that I wish to share with all of you.
Jarabe pronounced hah-rah-beh which means "syrup" in Spanish and specializes in serving handcrafted Mexican-style gourmet ice pops along with a variety of Latino sweets and treats. With a modern touch, Jarabe hopes to showcase the best of Mexico and Latin America while recreating some of our childhood best sweets.
All of our products are handmade with fresh and natural ingredients, no preservatives, additives, no artificial flavoring and/or coloring. The paleteria will also have a new twist and include Caribbean flavors to honor my partner and Jarabe's co-Owners' Jamaican heritage.
We thank you for the support and hope our story can serve as an inspiration to immigrant families.
El Paletero.
For my dad, being part of Jarabe, is coming full circle.
My dad was a paletero. His first job was at the age of 7 on the Night of Tlatelolco, Mexico’s student massacre. He has vivid memories of selling his first paletas to student protestors in the midst of chaos at the Plaza de Las Tres Culturas in Mexico City. While he has little to no recollection of that dark night, he surely remembered one thing — how to turn one peso into two pesos.
So when he migrated to the United States at the age of 24 and his undocumented status limited his job options, he put into practice what he learned as a kid and joined the informal economy in the City of Los Angeles. Despite being uncertain about his prospects, he was hopeful that if he sold enough paletas, $1/each, he would beat the odds and earn twice as much as the minimum wage worker.
But the life of a street vendor was not easy. He worked long hours in unbearable heat conditions and at a time when street vendors were heavily criminalized and discriminated against; often harassed by police. He gave up on the idea of paletas after local law enforcement humiliated him throwing his inventory on the floor and spending 2 days behind bars to pay his fines.
So, when I told my dad I refused a six figure salary to start my own paleta business, you can only imagine his response. But for me, Jarabe Gourmet Pops is more than paletas - it’s a continuation of our immigrant legacy and our way of adding our cultural footprint in this country.