While Trinidad's doubles embody a story of desperation and opportunity, the humble chickpea sandwich has a contested origin that's part of decades-long family feud.
When I visited my father's Caribbean home of Trinidad & Tobago from our New York base, I'd trail behind him as he walked the streets and byways of his youth. Most exciting were the stops he made at street food vendors, who hawked everything from peppered fruits to peanuts and spiced chickpeas, hand pies stuffed with seasoned potato, and shaved iced cones liberally doused with fruit syrups and sweetened condensed milk. But of these offerings only one was the indisputable king: doubles.
Doubles is a humble sandwich made from curried chickpeas tucked between two pieces of fried flat bread and dressed in tamarind and coriander sauces, mango chutney, kuchela (spicy, green mango chutney) and cucumber. It's sold from makeshift stalls that have changed little from the original ones nearly a century ago, as well as in popular restaurants and tiny cafes. The best doubles feature soft bread and tender chickpeas that have undergone a long simmer in a curry sauce. When the condiments are added, the punchy taste experience perfectly balances sweet, tart and spicy in one addictive little package.
A vegan snack that appeals to all Trinidadians, doubles has become anytime-fare that serves as a popular go-to for late-night clubbers, a welcome hangover cure, a Carnival staple and a fast-food breakfast for schoolchildren and commuters. In 2012, it was for doubles that Trinidad's parliament recessed during its longest-ever session of 27 hours of continuous debate.
Like many great food traditions, doubles are part cultural tradition and part legend. Aficionados often refer to the snack as the epitome of Trinidadian cuisine, even though they've only been on the street food scene for less than a century. This is no small accomplishment considering how Trinidadian food is rooted in the ancient cuisines of West African, Indian, Chinese and Caribbean Indigenous people. In its relatively meteoric rise, doubles represents the cross-cultural amalgam that is Trinidad society, it's beloved by everyone, including locals from all backgrounds and visitors who sing its praises on social media.
Trinidad-based photographer and food journalist David Wears says that the adoration of doubles cannot be overstated. And, he says, doubles isn't just a hot commodity in Trinidad but also “up the islands” – the northerly islands in the Caribbean chain like St Lucia, Grenada, all the way up to Jamaica – as well as in the US, the UK and Canada, brought there by Trinidadian immigrants. The reach of doubles is so great that 30 May is recognised as International Doubles Day.
“Whenever I travel, the people I'm visiting jokingly remind me to bring them some doubles – except it's not really a joke,” said Wears, whose Facebook group called Foodie Run TT features doubles as its main image. In addition to sharing Trinidadian food culture on Facebook, Wears organises groups of food lovers to visit culinary hotspots around the country. In 2013, he spent several months touring Trinidad to find the best doubles, and he has identified top contenders such as Pier 1 Doubles (Chaguaramas), Harrylal Doubles (Diego Martin), Original Sauce & Sons (Tunpuna), Franks Doubles (St Augustine), Ken's Doubles & Pies (Couva) and Dibe Green Shed Doubles (Chaguanas).
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