Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. W.I. Rasta) essential, basic, echt Rastafarian.

1968		L. Barrett Rastafarians (1977) 141: The word ‘I-tal’ is another Rastafarian word [...] It means the essence of things, things that are in their natural state.
1981		G. Tate ‘Knee Deep in Blood Ulmer’ in Flyboy in the Buttermilk (1992) 18: Are you Glad to Be in America? (Rough Trade import) is not only the most frenzied but, despite the muddy mixdown, the most Ital.
2012		Jamaica Obs. 6 May 🌐 These times we didn’t have bullet proof vest — it was strictly ‘ital’ we were fighting them. We were fearless those times.

2. (W.I. Rasta) vital, organic, natural, wholesome, referring both to a way of cooking and of life.

1968		L. Barrett Rastafarians (1977) 141: The Rastafarian food is now known as I-tal food.
1981		N. Farki Countryman Karl Black 136: He always had a bottle of ‘ital juice’ made from chainey root and strong-back and a little herbs mixed with milk.
1994		M. Montague Dread Culture 176: As long as a man don’t abuse yuh, ital or low-tal, mi tink yuh should go for it.
1995		Francis-Jackson Official Dancehall Dict. 26: Ital natural and organic when relative to food; salt-free; when the subject is sex the interpretation is condom-free: u. ital food; ital sex.

3. (W.I./UK black teen) of food, natural, unprocessed (fresh vegetables, fruits etc) or prepared without salt.

1979		‘Trip to Jam Down’ in P. Ashton et al. Our Lives (1982) 52: Those who lived in the country ate only ‘ital’ foods, which has no salt in it at all, and foods which come from roots and have not been processed by man.
1986		R. Hewitt White Talk Black Talk 121: Seh mi pour out mi I-tal curry.
1992		Busta rhymes ‘Scenario’ 🎵 Eatring ital stew like the one Peter Tosh-a.
1994		M. Montague Dread Culture 69: Inside Tafari Ital shop, Chuckie and Bigger were sampling the shop’s ital patties.