Ital food: connecting with nature

While it was widely regarded as a fringe movement in the not-too-distant past, veganism is now firmly mainstream. Practitioners who are committed to a plant-based diet, avoid anything that is an animal product or a derivative such as eggs, meat, dairy and honey. But in the Caribbean, veganism is both a spiritual and practical matter for followers of the Ital diet, the traditional food of Rastafarianism. Like practitioners in some Asian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, Rastafarians also refrain from ingesting animal products. Rastafarianism began in Jamaica during the 1930s through the promotion of an African-centric view of the Bible. With at least 1,500 practitioners in Antigua today, Ital food plays an important role in the country’s cuisine. So what exactly is Ital food?

The Ital diet is based on the idea that being vegetarian improves health and energy and increases one’s connection with nature. The name is derived from the English word “vital”, a popular mantra in the religion that “Ital is vital”. The fact that it begins with the letter “I” has special significance to the Rastafari as it shows the self-determination of the black race, which resulted in their use of the word “I” to replace the first letter of many words.

Not only do Rastafarians want to protect God’s living creatures, but they are also in tune with nature, only eating food that is organic, local, seasonal and unprocessed. Comprising delicious food full of energy-giving fruits and vegetables and protein-providing pulses, prepared without additives and chemicals and flavoured with aromatic herbs and spices; it’s all about treating their body as a temple. With the world focusing on healthy, crueltyfree cooking, Ital is becoming increasingly popular outside the Rastafarian community. Maybe it’s time we all treat our bodies like a temple?

ISSUE 12 • DECEMBER 2021