What is Ital?
If you live in the Caribbean or spend time amongst members of the Rastafarian community, you’ve probably heard the phrase “Ital is vital”, but what is ital?
A few weeks ago, someone sent me a message on Instagram requesting a recipe for “ital”. I was a little confused by the request because to me, ital is a philosophy that encompasses a variety of ingredients and dishes, not one specific recipe. This got me thinking that my interpretation of ital may not be the consensus. I decided to ask a few friends - specifically those with close ties to the Rastafarian community - “What is ital?”
Below is a selection of the responses I received. Please note that responses have been edited for clarity and conciseness. In some instances, the identities of the interviewees have been kept anonymous.
What is Ital?
KIYODE ERASTO, Recording Artist
Vital - throw away the ‘v’ and you get ‘ital’ [chuckles] so it’s food that is vital. Vital for what? Vital for your mind, your body, your soul. It’s food that is wholesome, you know. Wholesome food cannot be processed and contaminated with chemicals. Wholesome food is basically natural, organic plants. Plant food that is good for you in terms of medicine. That’s why we say, ‘Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food.’ So when we say ital we basically mean raw plants, no kind of flesh, no poultry or milk. If there’s milk, it must be plant milk such as coconut or almond. Cooking ital is a culture invented by the Rastaman, but it’s nothing new. It’s the way of creation. Our ancient ancestors lived that way. We are herbivores so that means in the first culture we were eating plants and we strayed away from that due to slavery and other people bringing their culture upon us.
People nowadays will say they’re vegan. Everything is vegan, vegan, vegan. The Rastaman and the Italist will say ‘ital is higher than vegan’ because ital is strictly plants - raw lakka dat. No kinda mix up nuttin. With vegan however, you have your soyannaise [soy based mayoannaise], your tu-no [tuna substitute], and other products which they say are plant based, but it goes through some kind of process or mix up. Ital is not about that. Ital is raw, strict, natural, hardcore. It’s medicinal plants for your body, mind and soul.
MESERETE UZONDU, Visual and Performing Artist
To me, ital means pure, natural plant based food made with coconut milk, if you have it. Fresh coconut milk, not boxed or canned milk. There’s no meat and no dead fish.
T.U., Engineer
What is ital to me? I would say ital is any food that is prepared without meat for sure and no preservatives. There was a time when people said that ital shouldn’t contain salt, so that could be another restriction. But ital is no flesh, no preservatives and depending on your interpretation, no salt.
JAHEALI, Yoga Instructor
Ital is vital! Vital foods containing all your minerals, enzymes and vitamins. It is primarily cooked over a live fire, not a gas stove. It can be cooked over a wood fire or with coals. It usually has no salt and no packaged seasoning, so mostly your seasonings will consist of scallion, onion, thyme, hot peppers, season peppers, celery, cilantro, parsley, tarragon and other fresh seasonings from your garden. And it is vegan food, cooked sometimes with freshly squeezed coconut milk. There is no dairy, no egg, no cheese, no animal products whatsoever. The only animal is the one making it. That’s what ital is to me.
JERMAINE JONAS, CHEF
To me, ital means food that is 100% unprocessed with no added salts, sugars, meat or diary products. Ital food was made popular by early Rastafarians. It was a rejection of the euro centric foods that were consumed by African descendants in the West Indies. It’s believed that ital food has a higher vibration than processed foods and meat. This belief has roots in every form of religion, from Judaism to Christianity.
One of the early Rastafarian leaders, Leonard Howell, advocated for the ital way of living in the belief that it would give more livity or life. Ital food is usually cooked in pots made of clay, using fresh coconut milk. For most Rastafarians it’s a cultural experience where the food is served in a calabash and eaten with spoons and forks made from coconut shell.
The Bottom Line
The word ital holds strong symbolic meaning for Rastafarians. Ital food isn’t just plant based food; it’s plant based food in its purest form. Eating ital is not a trend. It is a conscious decision to take care of your body and mind from the inside. According to me, “Ital is an organic, unprocessed, plant based meal prepared in a way that preserves the natural integrity of the ingredients and provides healing for those who consume it.”
