Most Rastafari eat Ital.
The word is just vital without the V.
The meaning is a bit more complicated.
The closest dietary comparison is vegan...although some make exceptions for small fish...most don't.
Their proteins are consumed from nuts and beans.
Yams, rice, whole grains, nuts, beans and coconut/coconut milk are also used.
Since metal/aluminum pots are shunned...the ingredients are boiled together in clay cooking pots with water and covered.
The vegetables and spices/herbs are simmered until tender.
These are handmade in the Rasta community and can be in a wide variety of sizes...some are lumpy and bumpy and blackened from the carbon fire that finished them.
You can buy one new on Amazon or eBay for around $60 USD.
There is no set recipe...and The Rasta combine the fresh vegetables and herbs available. The combination is fresh, smells wonderful and is healthy.
The Ital Stew is usually served with a side of coconut rice.
Next week, we will leave St. Catherine Parish and check out Clarendon!
