This video is a great source of some basic information about Rastafarian culture. In my time, Rastas were not part of mainstream Jamaican society. You would not wear dreadlocks unless you were a Rasta … period. All that changed with the popularity of Bob Marley worldwide. Today dreadlocks and Rastafarian beliefs don’t necessarily go hand in hand. For many people, dreads are merely a hairstyle.
One of the expressions of the Rastafari movement is adherence to strict vegetarian diet based on a belief in natural living. Ital, pronounced “eye’-tall”, is food celebrated by those in the Rastafari movement. The word derives from the English word “vital”.
As with most beliefs there is a range of vegetarian practice, but Rastas are famous for saying, “I-man no eat pork.” In this video, there is a Rasta who cooks in the bush and people seek him out for his delicious ital food. You’ll see him making a vegetarian patties and something called “Blue Draws.” Please don’t ask me where that name came from because I have no idea! However, it’s best described as a rustic (it’s cooking banana leaves) version of my Cornmeal Pudding … check it out!