What Is Ital Stew? The Rastafarian Dish Explained
Ital stew is a plant-based Rastafarian stew of vegetables and ground provisions in coconut milk. Here is what it is and where to buy the ingredients.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Ital stew is a hearty, plant-based Caribbean stew rooted in Rastafarian food culture, made from a colourful mix of vegetables, ground provisions and pulses such as pumpkin, carrot, callaloo, sweet potato, green banana, peas and beans, simmered in coconut milk with thyme, scotch bonnet and seasonings. The word ital comes from vital, and describes the natural, wholesome way of eating followed by many Rastafarians, traditionally free from meat, and often from salt and processed foods. Nourishing, wholesome and naturally vegan, ital stew is a delicious way to enjoy Caribbean vegetables. In the UK the ingredients are sold by African and Caribbean food shops.
What to remember
- Ital stew is a hearty, plant-based Caribbean stew rooted in Rastafarian food culture.
- It is made from vegetables, ground provisions and pulses simmered in coconut milk with thyme and scotch bonnet.
- The word ital comes from vital, describing a natural, wholesome way of eating.
- It is traditionally free from meat, and often from salt and processed foods, and is naturally vegan.
- The ingredients are sold by African and Caribbean food shops in the UK.
For Rastafarians and Caribbean people in Britain, ital stew is a wholesome, meaningful taste of home. It is the colourful pot of provisions and vegetables in golden coconut broth, the natural, nourishing food of a way of life, the bowl that satisfies without meat, the taste that says home and health. Making ital stew far from home brings back family kitchens and ital cook-shops and the wholesome food of the islands, the warmth of the Caribbean in every rich, natural spoonful.
There is real meaning in it too, in a dish rooted in respect for the body and for natural living, made from the good things of the earth. It reflects a whole culture of wholesome, plant-based, mindful food, and to cook a pot of ital stew is to keep that alive. Making it for family who grew up on it, or sharing it with a friend curious about ital food, is a small act of welcome. That wholesome, nourishing taste of home is the gift of ital stew.
What Ital Stew Actually Is
Ital stew is a wholesome, plant-based stew that comes from the food culture of Rastafari, a hearty pot of vegetables and ground provisions cooked in coconut milk. It is made from a generous, colourful mix of ingredients, which can include pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, green banana, callaloo, cho cho (chayote), peppers, and pulses such as red peas, gungo peas or butter beans, all simmered in coconut milk with thyme, garlic, onion, spring onion and a whole scotch bonnet for aroma. The result is a rich, nourishing, naturally vegan stew full of flavour and colour.
The word ital is at the heart of the dish. It comes from the word vital, and refers to the natural, wholesome way of eating followed by many Rastafarians, food that is as close to its natural state as possible, plant-based, and traditionally prepared without meat, and often without salt or processed ingredients. Ital stew is the best known ital dish. It belongs to the world of Caribbean cooking we cover in our guide to Jamaican food, and it makes wonderful use of vegetables like callaloo and is often served with rice and peas.
How Ital Stew Is Made and Eaten
Making ital stew is simple and forgiving, a matter of simmering a good mix of vegetables and provisions in seasoned coconut milk. The vegetables and ground provisions are peeled and chopped, and everything is cooked gently in coconut milk with aromatics such as thyme, garlic, onion, spring onion, ginger and a whole scotch bonnet, along with the pulses, until the vegetables are tender and the stew is rich and the flavours melded. Dumplings are often added too. In the ital tradition, little or no salt is used, the flavour coming from the coconut, herbs, scotch bonnet and the vegetables themselves.
Ital stew is a nourishing, satisfying dish in its own right, and it is commonly served with rice, rice and peas, or ground provisions, or eaten on its own as a hearty bowl. Because it is naturally plant-based and often salt-free, it suits many ways of eating, though it does contain coconut, which those with a coconut allergy should note. This article is general food information rather than dietary advice. Wholesome, colourful and naturally vegan, ital stew is a delicious celebration of Caribbean vegetables.
Ital Stew in Rastafarian and Caribbean Food Culture
Ital stew holds a meaningful place in Rastafarian and wider Caribbean food culture. For Rastafarians, eating ital is part of a way of life that values natural, wholesome living and respect for the body, and ital food, plant-based and close to nature, expresses those beliefs. Ital stew is the most recognised ital dish, cooked in homes and served at ital restaurants and stalls across Jamaica and the Caribbean, and it has grown in popularity well beyond the Rastafarian community as more people seek wholesome, plant-based food.
Every cook has their own ital stew, their mix of provisions, vegetables and pulses and their seasonings, but the colourful vegetables and provisions simmered in coconut milk, naturally plant-based, are always at its heart. For Rastafarians and many Caribbeans, ital stew is a wholesome, meaningful taste of home, and for anyone seeking delicious plant-based food it is a wonderful dish to discover. This article is general food and cultural information. Wholesome and nourishing, ital stew is a treasured Caribbean classic.
Where to Buy the Ingredients in the UK
Making ital stew at home in Britain is easy, as the ingredients are widely available. African and Caribbean food shops sell the ground provisions and vegetables, such as pumpkin, sweet potato, green banana, cho cho, callaloo and yam, along with coconut milk, the pulses like red peas, gungo peas and butter beans, and the thyme, scotch bonnet and other aromatics that flavour the pot. These shops are the best place to find the more particular Caribbean vegetables and provisions that make an authentic ital stew.
If you want to make ital stew, an African or Caribbean food shop can point you to the provisions, coconut milk, pulses and seasonings you need. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where these ingredients are stocked. Wholesome, colourful and naturally vegan, ital stew brings a nourishing taste of the Caribbean to your table.
Frequently asked questions
What is ital stew?
Ital stew is a hearty, plant-based Caribbean stew rooted in Rastafarian food culture, made from a colourful mix of vegetables, ground provisions and pulses such as pumpkin, carrot, callaloo, sweet potato, green banana and peas, simmered in coconut milk with thyme, scotch bonnet and seasonings. It is naturally vegan, nourishing and wholesome, and it is the best known ital dish.
What does ital mean?
Ital comes from the word vital, and refers to the natural, wholesome way of eating followed by many Rastafarians. Ital food is plant-based and as close to its natural state as possible, traditionally prepared without meat, and often without salt or processed ingredients. Eating ital is part of a Rastafarian way of life that values natural living and respect for the body, and ital stew is its best known dish.
Is ital stew vegan?
Yes, ital stew is naturally vegan, made entirely from plant ingredients, vegetables, ground provisions, pulses and coconut milk, with no meat, fish or animal products. This reflects the ital tradition of plant-based, natural eating. In its traditional form it is also often made with little or no salt. It does contain coconut, which those with a coconut allergy should note.
What is in ital stew?
Ital stew contains a mix of vegetables, ground provisions and pulses, which can include pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, green banana, callaloo, cho cho and yam, along with pulses such as red peas, gungo peas or butter beans, all simmered in coconut milk with thyme, garlic, onion, spring onion and a whole scotch bonnet. Dumplings are often added. The exact mix varies by cook.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
Ground provisions and vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato, green banana, cho cho and callaloo, along with coconut milk, pulses and seasonings like thyme and scotch bonnet, are sold by African and Caribbean food shops. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks the provisions, coconut milk and pulses that ital stew needs.