Roots Tonic

Rastafarians make a fermented 'Roots Tonic', an alcohol-free drink made with healing and restorative herbs such as burdock root, damiana, ginseng, gingko biloba, saw palmetto berry, corn silk, horny goat weed, cutuaba, cayenne pepper, yohimbe bark, and juniper berry. Each family will have their own recipe and technique. Fermentation increases the nutritional value of foods and promotes gut health.

Rastafari promotes self-sufficiency and rejects consumerism. Roots Tonic forms part of Ital diets, fundamental to Rastafari culture. The word 'Ital' stems from the word ‘vital’ referring to a natural relationship to the land as a means of physically and spiritually nourishing the people.

Enslaved Africans took their knowledge of medicinal herbs with them when they were forcibly removed to the Americas and Caribbean. They learnt to adapt methods and ingredients responding to the land, and from indigenous peoples including the Taino and Caribs, plus influences from India, China, etc.

Our Roots Tonic comes courtesy of Addisa Herbal, and Didas Jamaican Herb Stall, both much-loved Brixton institutions. Check out our post about Ital food.