Editing Ital

{{short description|Food celebrated in the Rastafari movement}}

'''Ital''', also spelled '''I-tal''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|aɪ|t|ɑː|l}}), is food often celebrated by those in the [[Rastafari movement]]. It is compulsory in the [[Bobo Ashanti]] and [[Nyabinghi (Mansion of Rastafari)|Nyabinghi]] [[Mansions of Rastafari| mansions]], though not in the [[Twelve Tribes of Israel (Rastafari)|Twelve Tribes of Israel]]. The word derives from the [[English language|English]] word "vital", with the initial "v" removed.<ref>[http://eatjamaican.com/ital-recipes/rastafarian-cooking.html Ital Cooking] - EatJamaican.com</ref> This emphasis on the letter "I" is done to many words in the [[Rastafari vocabulary]] to signify the unity of the speaker with God and all of nature.{{Cn|date=September 2021}}  
The expression of Ital eating varies widely from Rasta to Rasta, and there are few universal rules of Ital living. 

The primary goal of adhering to an Ital diet is to increase liveliness. The life energy that Rastafari generally believe lives within all human beings, as conferred from the Almighty, is referred to as [[Livity (spiritual concept)|Livity]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Robert |first=Shepherd |title=Rastafari Livity: A Basic Information Text: Amazon.co.uk: Kwende Anbessa-Ebanks: 9781872121048: Books |publisher=Amazon.co.uk |id= {{ASIN|1872121047|country=uk}} }}</ref> A common tenet of Rastafari beliefs is the sharing of a central Livity among living things, and what is put into one's body should enhance Livity rather than reduce it.  Though there are different interpretations of ital regarding specific foods, the general principle is that food should be natural, or pure, and directly from the earth; Rastafari therefore often avoid food which is chemically modified or contains artificial [[food additive|additives]] (e.g., [[food colouring|colour]], [[flavouring]]s, and [[food preservation|preservative]]s). Some also avoid added [[salt]] in foods, especially salt with the artificial addition of [[iodine]], while pure sea or [[kosher salt]] is eaten by some. In strict interpretations, foods that have been produced using chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizer are not considered ital.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jamaicans.com/culture/rasta/ital_food.shtml |title=Ital Food (Jamaica) |date=21 March 2004 |publisher=Jamaicans.com |access-date=2012-02-27 |archive-date=2015-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929110023/http://www.jamaicans.com/culture/rasta/ital_food.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> Early adherents adopted their dietary laws based on their interpretation of several books of the [[Bible]], including the [[Book of Genesis]] ("Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food'. (Genesis 1:29)), the books of [[Leviticus]] and [[Deuteronomy]]. Along with growing [[dreadlocks]] and the sacramental smoking of [[Cannabis (drug)|ganja]], observing a [[Vegetarianism|vegetarian diet]] is one of the practices early Rastafari adopted from [[Indo-Jamaican|Indian]] [[Indian indenture system|indentured servants]] living in Jamaica. Rastafari's founder, [[Leonard Howell]], affectionately called "Gong" and "Gyangunguru Maragh", though not of Indian descent, was fascinated with [[Hindu]] practices and was instrumental in promoting a plant-based diet in the Rastafari community of Pinnacle.

==Vegetarianism==
Most expressions of the Ital diet include adherence to a strict [[vegetarianism|vegetarian diet]]. This is based in part on the belief that since meat is dead, eating it would therefore work against Livity elevation. It is also practiced because as adherents to natural living, Rastafarians often believe the human being is a natural vegetarian based on human physiology and anatomy. Some adherents to Ital diets are [[veganism|vegans]], as they do not consider dairy to be natural for human consumption either.<ref>Wood, A., Logan, J. and Rose, J., ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=BSxNwCzMZ3wC&pg=PA81 Movement and Change: Movement and Change]'', Nelson Thrones, 1997. {{ISBN|0-17-437067-9}}, {{ISBN|978-0-17-437067-3}}</ref> Despite most adherents being vegetarian, some [[Pescetarianism|consider fish to be acceptable]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/magazine/ital-is-vital.html|title=Ital Is Vital|last=Meehan|first=Peter|date=2012-10-12|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-01-18|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Drugs==
[[Rastafari]] does not approve of [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] consumption.<ref name="amazon1">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&keywords=0892819332 |title=0892819332: Books |publisher=Amazon.com |access-date=2012-02-27}}</ref> However, some choose to drink alcohol in moderation as long as it does not reach a level that clouds the mind or reduces their livity. Most Rastas disapprove of [[cigarettes]] due to the serious health concerns associated with their use, and some avoid [[coffee]] and other caffeinated beverages (though this is less common). Some Rastafari grow their own coffee, sugar, and [[cocoa bean|cocoa]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

==Other restrictions==
The strictest interpretations also avoid the consumption of rock salt (sea salt can be substituted), and food that has been preserved by [[canning]] or [[drying]], and even prohibit the use of [[metal]] [[cooking utensil]]s. In this case, only [[clay]] and [[wood]] [[cooking pot]]s, [[crockery]], and [[cutlery]] are used. Few adherents of ital follow the strictest interpretation; some Rastafarians do not adhere to them at all.<ref>https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14769948.2021.1897097#:~:text=The%20Ital%20hermeneutic%2C%20thus%20represents,the%20grounding%20of%20dietary%20practice.|title=Ital Hermeneutics: The Innovative Theological Grounding of Rastafari Dietary (Ietary) Practices|last=Powell|first=Joseph|date=2021-03-12|work=Black Theology|access-date=2022-03-30|language=en-US|</ref>

==See also==
{{div col}}
*[[Christian vegetarianism]]
*[[Kashrut]]
*[[Sattvic diet]]
*[[Halal]]
*[[Jewish vegetarianism]]
*[[List of diets]]
*[[Taboo food and drink]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Rastafari}}
{{Diets}}
{{Vegetarianism}}

[[Category:Vegetarian diets]]
[[Category:Rastafari]]
[[Category:Religion-based diets]]
[[Category:Jamaican cuisine]]