Ital Dishes
Ital dishes, also spelled I-tal (/ˈaɪtɑːl/), is food consumed by those in the Rastafari movement that started in Jamaica in the 1930s. It is compulsory in the Bobo Ashanti and Nyabinghi mansions, though not in the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
The word itself derives from the English word “vital”, with the initial “v” removed. This is similar to how the word “vegan” is derived from “vegetarian”.
This means ital food is natural, pure, and clean food. For a Rastafarian, it means no salt, no chemicals, no flesh. This is closet compared to whole food plant based. Essentially ital prioritizes fresh, whole, unprocessed foods in their natural state that are grown locally and organically.
Within the ital movement there can be variations; for example some rastas will use ital dishes with natural salt i.e. sea salt. A common and popular ingredient in most ital dishes is coconut milk. This coconut milk is produced from real coconuts and not the canned varieties you would find in stores.
Long before Donald Watson coined the term “vegan” in 1944, Rastafarians where practicing it’s principles through “ital” living. This is another example of how the tiny island of Jamaica has spread it’s influence and culture worldwide. So in a lot of ways “veganism” is not new to many folks from the Caribbean as we have seen this practiced by the Rastafarian lifestyle. We here at Vegan Caribbean Recipes are thankful for the trailblazers of the Rastafari movement who set an example of living and lifestyle that is helping people live better, healthier lives.