Meaning
Natural, pure, and unprocessed — used above all for the Rastafari way of eating: food prepared without salt, chemicals, or preservatives, and typically vegetarian or vegan, cooked to keep it as close to its natural, living state as possible. By extension, 'ital' describes any way of living that is clean, natural, and in harmony with the earth. Built from the 'I' of Rastafari speech and 'vital', it names the whole ideal of livity through pure, wholesome food and living, and 'ital is vital' is a well-known affirmation of that clean, life-giving way.
Examples
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Mi cook a ital stew wid coconut milk.
I cooked an ital stew with coconut milk.
Ital stew is the best known dish of the tradition.
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Him nuh eat meat, him strictly ital.
He doesn't eat meat, he is strictly ital.
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Keep it ital an natural.
Keep it pure and natural.
Used broadly, beyond food.
Origin
Formed from English "vital" with the first syllable replaced by "I" — a hallmark of Rastafari Iyaric speech, in which "I" is substituted into words to affirm the self and the divine within.
How it’s used
Central to Rastafari livity (way of life). Strict adherents avoid salt entirely; others use it more loosely to mean natural or organic. Treat the word with respect — it is a spiritual term, not merely a food label.