Bob Marley was known for bringing a taste of Jamaica and Rastafarian spirit to the global stage, but this went far further than the music and also extended into the heart of the culture, particularly the food.

When you become a global icon for your way of life, it’s an essential byproduct that you also have to embody that spirit into every facet of your being, no matter how you originally started out. That’s why, on top of his prolific musical back catalogue, Marley was known as a pioneer of politics, social justice, religion, and race. It was clearly a lot to rest on one man’s shoulders, with an effect that tragically took its toll at all too early an age.

But, of course, when you spend your days packing so much work into them, it’s only natural that Marley was bound to work up a pretty hungry appetite. All countries and cultures have their selection of staple meals, and Rastafarianism is obviously no different in this respect. Yet for the man who acted as the cultural and societal beacon of their cause to the rest of the world, he preferred to slightly bend the rules when it came to his favourite plate of grub.

While it’s a cornerstone of Rastafarian living that food is prepared under the concept of Ital, which revolves around meals being made organically with vegetarian ingredients, and most commonly cooked without salt. To all intents and purposes, it sounds like the perfect diet to fit every online trend and healthy eating fad in the Western world these days. Yet despite being embedded at the heart of everything Rastafarian, Marley himself was not so much of a fan.

The reggae pioneer often opted to have the occasional meaty addition thrown into his otherwise strictly vegetarian Ital meals, seemingly for no other reason than because he enjoyed it. He was known for predominantly eating beef and chicken but steering away from pork. Yet even despite this, nothing could beat the earthly flavours of one of his most favourite culinary discoveries. The Ital stew.

After a long day slogging away in the studio or performing to adoring fans on stages all over the world, it’s only natural that the singer would yearn for a taste of home. This is where the famous Ital stew came to have its most delicious delights, as Marley would often ask one of his cooks, Michael ‘Mikey Dan’ Whyte or Antonio ‘Gilly’ Gilbert to prepare it for him so he could refuel after shows. As a one-pan wonder of vegetables, cooked together in a pot before being served over rice, it hardly seems all that complicated, either. Definitely one that those looking to bring a little Rasta taste into their diets could try.

Legend has it, Marley liked to wash down his Ital stew with either a juice, a ginger beer, or a drink called Irish Moss – a creamy mix of seaweed, condensed milk, and cinnamon. Whether you fancy going the whole hog when you try the recipe is entirely up to you, but it’s bound to add a touch of proper Rastafarian flair to your day.

Ingredients for the Ital stew loved by Bob Marley:
Cauliflower
Carrots
Potatoes
Cabbage
Brown gungo peas
Butter beans
Coconut milk
Thyme
Garlic