By Gionna Bean, Opinion Editor
The Jammin’ Caribbean Fusion made an appearance at Homecoming – Photo by @raina_starlight on Instagram
On Saturday, Sept. 20, Homecoming took place at Aquinas College. Among the vendors in attendance, Xav’s Jammin’ Caribbean Fusion food truck stood out as the only one owned by an Aquinas alumni.
Alumni Xavier Jaramillo is a member of the class of 2000, and his wife who helps with the business is a member of the class of 2002.
“We went to college together a while back now,” Jaramillo said. “Now, we’ve been bringing our food truck to Homecoming for about the past four years.”
In fact, the food truck business is fairly new, having only been running for just over five years. Spending four of those years coming to Homecoming proves that Xav’s Jammin’ Caribbean Fusion has a strong connection with Aquinas College.
Jaramillo describes the food as Caribbean with a Latin flare. He has been running the business for the past five years, and he got the idea to start it from a friend of his.
“I had a Latin buddy at AQ, and he and I just combined our two cultures,” Jaramillo said. “We thought, ‘hey we love Latin food and we love Caribbean food, and wouldn’t they be even better together?’ And so this food truck was born.”
An anonymous alumni ordered some of the food. “I hope it’s good, and hearing that it’s made by an AQ alumni makes me even more excited,” the anonymous alumni said.
While some were enthused by the prospect of an AQ alumni making the food, others were celebrating their achievements from the day.
Specifically, senior Matthew Sloan, named one of two Top Saints just moments before, ordered the jerk chicken loaded fries. Sloan had to wait about 10 minutes while Jaramillo cooked his food on the spot. The truck had an open set up, so customers could view the whole process while waiting.
Matthew Sloan with his food – Photo by Cristian Zacharias
“It has a lot of flavors,” Sloan said, “but I especially like the pineapple. It has some spice to it, but it’s not too much to where it’s overwhelming. Overall, some pretty amazing food.”
Sloan ordered the Jerk Chicken Loaded Fries. Some of the truck’s other offerings include jerk rice bowls and tacos that can be ordered with chicken, shrimp or oxtail.
Jerk Chicken Loaded Fries – Photo by Cristian Zacharias
Jaramillo hopes that his food brings people together, just as it does for his friends and family. “My friend and I started this,” Jaramillo said. “And I appreciate and love all the support I get from my family. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
