What is “Ital” food?
The word Ital (or I-tal) is derived from the English word vital (without the “V”). Ital cooking is way of preparing and cooking food that is consistent with Rastafarian beliefs and practices. Like vital, ital means essential to human existence. Rastafarians see their food as a way to be one with nature and also as medicine for the body, as it builds your “strucha” (structure). Ital is used to describe food that is “approved” for Rastafarians. Ital cooking is essentially traditional Jamaican cooking without salt, meat, and additives. Therefore, a good ital cook has to be skilled at using available herbs and spices to produce food that is palatable and tasty – indeed ital food is often as tasty as traditional Jamaican cooking. Ital cooking has expanded beyond its traditional Jamaican roots to include other foods such as tofu and many other foods and vegetables not native to Jamaica.
