Could somebody tell me what "doubles" are? I've heard them mentioned in various posts but I don't know what they consist of.
Many thanks, Gill
Doubles
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Clyde Alleyne
- Oh, so Sad!
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 2:40 am
- Location: Samaan Grove, Tobago
Gill, Doubles are the quintessential street food of Trinidad & Tobago. It originated from the East Indian community of T&T. Here's what Wikipedia says about Doubles:
"Doubles is a common street food in Trinidad and Tobago. It is a sandwich made with two soft flat fried breads, called "bara" (hence the name "doubles") filled with curried chick peas, commonly called channa. Topped with a variety of spicy chutneys, this delicacy is undoubtedly the most popular fast-food in Trinidad and Tobago. The bread is a quick bread made of flour, baking powder, salt, and saffron, which gives the bread its yellow color. It is flattened to a thin round disk about 3.5 inches in diameter and fried until golden brown. The bara is then filled with the channa and served."
At a typical price of TT$2.00 - $2.50 (US$0.35 - 0.40), it is very affordable to everyone, and has become a universally popular quick breakfast, snack, lunch or even dinner for every echelon of T&T society. They are typically sold streetside out of a large box, and lined up at doubles vendors all over the country every day you will see everyone from the "captains of society" to ordinary labourers.
Depending on how used you are to hot & spicy flavours, you should request your doubles "with everything, no pepper", or at most "everything, just slight pepper". The "everything" means you want all the other toppings. In Tobago, probably the best-known doubles vendor sells at the side of the street by the Crown Point airport car park. Look our for the umbrella and the inevitable cluster of customers waiting for their order to be filled. She's usually sold out by 10AM. I'm afraid I don't know where the other good doubles vendors are in Scarborough and elsewhere.
Enjoy!
Clyde
"Doubles is a common street food in Trinidad and Tobago. It is a sandwich made with two soft flat fried breads, called "bara" (hence the name "doubles") filled with curried chick peas, commonly called channa. Topped with a variety of spicy chutneys, this delicacy is undoubtedly the most popular fast-food in Trinidad and Tobago. The bread is a quick bread made of flour, baking powder, salt, and saffron, which gives the bread its yellow color. It is flattened to a thin round disk about 3.5 inches in diameter and fried until golden brown. The bara is then filled with the channa and served."
At a typical price of TT$2.00 - $2.50 (US$0.35 - 0.40), it is very affordable to everyone, and has become a universally popular quick breakfast, snack, lunch or even dinner for every echelon of T&T society. They are typically sold streetside out of a large box, and lined up at doubles vendors all over the country every day you will see everyone from the "captains of society" to ordinary labourers.
Depending on how used you are to hot & spicy flavours, you should request your doubles "with everything, no pepper", or at most "everything, just slight pepper". The "everything" means you want all the other toppings. In Tobago, probably the best-known doubles vendor sells at the side of the street by the Crown Point airport car park. Look our for the umbrella and the inevitable cluster of customers waiting for their order to be filled. She's usually sold out by 10AM. I'm afraid I don't know where the other good doubles vendors are in Scarborough and elsewhere.
Enjoy!
Clyde
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Alex Bindy
- Tobago Guru
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Gill O
- myTobago Nut
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