Rasta Culture in New York

Here are some examples of staple foods found in the ital cuisine in the Caribbean. Some are fruits, some are vegetables, and some are used for spices. How many of these can you identify?

 

Ackees

 

“Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica and is borne in clusters on an evergreen tree. Its name is derived from the West African Akye fufo. The tree is not endemic to the West Indies but was introduced from West Africa during the 18th century.”

 

Annotto

 

 

“Inside these pods are annotto seeds. The pulp surrounding the seeds is red. The dried mature seeds are used as food coloring and seasoning in Jamaican cooking.”

 

 

Avocado

“In Jamaica, avocados are often eaten with bread, especially hard dough bread, with bullas (a round basic firm sweet cake, in which stale bread is often an ingredient), in vegetable salads, and as a side dish with meals. When eaten with bread and bulla avocados function as cheese or butter. When eaten in a salad or as a side dish avocados are treated as a vegetable. In some other places, avocados are often treated as fruits and are often used in drinks. Avocados are native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.”

 

Bananas

 

“Another Staple food in the ital diet, is the banana fruit. Although bananas can be eaten raw, as they are, they are often times made into smoothies and juices and added to other dishes and fruits.”

 

 

Breadfruit 

“Breadfruit can be used in a variety of ways. In Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada, the favorite way is “oil down, that is steamed in coconut milk, while in the Leewards, they like it boiled. It can be turned into flour, which then can be used to make bread. Ripe breadfruit can be used to make breadfruit wine, patty, gizzada, pudding, cake, and punch.’People in Jamaica and St. Vincent roast breadfruit. In Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada, the favorite way is “oil down, that is steamed in coconut milk, while in the Leewards, they like it boiled. It can be turned into flour, which then can be used to make bread. Ripe breadfruit can be used to make breadfruit wine, patty, gizzada, pudding, cake, and punch.'”

Breadfruit – Roasted

 

“”People in Jamaica and St. Vincent roast breadfruit. This is yet another way in which the breadfruit is used in ital diets. Roasted breadfruit can be eaten as is, or in combination to other ingredients to make a full meal.”

 

 

Callaloo

 

“You could say that Callaloo, of Illaloo, according to Rastafarians, plays a role in the Rastafarian diet that is similar to the role Spinach plays in the American diet. But that would understate the importance of callaloo in the Jamaican and Rastafarian diet. And those who have had both agree callaloo has more going for it than spinach. Steamed callaloo is often served with breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is cooked with codfish and used in soups.”

Cassava or Yucca

“Cassava or Yucca (also known as manioc and is used to make tapioca) can help prevent heart disease, reduce the risk of cancer, prevent cataracts, and help keep skin smooth. While cassava is not well known in the US it is the world’s number two vegetable crop, after potatoes.”

 

Chocho or Christophene

 

“The chayote fruit is used in mostly cooked forms. When cooked, chayote is usually handled like summer squash, it is generally lightly cooked to retain the crisp flavor.”

 

Coco or Eddo

 

“There are many taro plantations on the Caribbean Islands as the soil there is perfect for them. The root is eaten boiled, and the leaves are eaten as a delicacy, cooked with coconut milk, onion and other vegetables.”

 

 

Coconut

 

 

“Coconuts are essential to Rastafarian cooking providing both oil and flavor. The coconut is crushed and coconut milk is extracted and distilled by boiling to remove water leaving a very flavorful oil.”

 

 

Jamaican Yams

 

“There are different varieties of yams, especially in the Caribbean. They all have a unique taste, flavor and texture. Some are dry, some waxy, some soft, and the sweet yam is even softer. Yams are primarily prepared as mashed or boiled. In the Caribbean, the yam is in the staple food group because the main nutrient provided is carbohydrates.”

 

Pimento

 

 

“Pimento is an essential ingredient of Rastafarian cooking. Most people call the tree ‘pimento’ and the berries ‘allspice’. Because the pimento berry has the flavor and aroma characteristic of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper, all combined in one spice it is called allspice.”

 

Plantains

 

 

“Plantains can help lower blood pressure, prevent and treat ulcers, prevent constipation, decrease the risk of hear disease. While plantains look like large bananas they are as different as apples and oranges. Unlike bananas, plantains need to be cooked before they are eaten.”

 

 

Scotch Bonnet

“The Scotch bonnet pepper is an essential ingredient of Rastafarian cooking because of its distinctive flavor. It looks almost identical to a habanero pepper but it has its own unique flavor. To get the flavor of the scotch bonnet without the heat, which is mostly in the seeds, you can use the skin sparingly. Or use it whole in soups and remove it without breaking the skin after the soup is cooked. Scotch bonnet peppers are available at Jamaican food stores, but many times regular habanero peppers are sold as Jamaican scotch bonnet.”

Susumber

 

“Susumba is small green and bitter berry, but when cooked and eaten as a side dish, or cooked with salted codfish, or in the rice, has an edgy taste that transforms many dishes. It is supposed to be good for high blood pressure and the leaves are sometimes used as a home remedy for flu and colds. Susumba should be cooked separately and the water discarded.”

 

 

To show the variety of fruits and vegetables, one must understand how these types of foods function in the Rastafari community. In addition to containing high nutrients and following the natural way of life that Rastas value, many of the ital food ingredients are seen as medicines for the body. Each fruit is looked at through various health benefits and healing properties (Lancashire 1013). The fruits and vegetables are often cooked in different ways as to extract the most nutrients from them. Chayote for instance, also known as chritophine or chocho, is a squash that is frequently used in soups and stews, much like the plantain fruit is.  The breadfruit on the other hand, can be boiled, baked, eaten hot, or ground up into flour (Kutler, Goyan, Sucher 2000). Still other fruits, such as bananas, can be eaten raw, right off the tree, to gain the optimal amount of nutrient from the fruit. They are often used in salads, juices, and or desserts. These foods make up a large portion of an ital diet (Lancashire 2013).