If you visit Trinidad you have to have Doubles. It is mandatory, and vegan so everyone should have at least a try. Not all doubles are made the same but let’s face it mediocre doubles are pretty damn good. That being said a great double is a thing of beauty.

We might be getting ahead of ourselves here though. What is a ‘double’? A double is a Trinidadian street food. It is a flat, deep fried piece of dough called a ‘bara’ with a channa (‘chick-pea’) filling. It is called a doubles because there are two baras. As a side note, you can get a single or a triple as well. Less common but you do you. But how do we choose a good doubles man?

1. Look for cleanliness. This one should go without saying but it is a street food and let’s not pretend like street food can’t get you violently ill. Nothing makes you hate food more than being betrayed by it. Look at the stall itself and look at the surrounding area. More often than not there should be some sort of water source around so you can wash your hands since doubles are usually eaten with your hands. If there is nowhere for you to rinse your hands, this may not be the place for you.
2. Check if they have other customers. Ideally you want about two other people buying doubles when you go. If there is no one and you notice they never have customers, they are NOT the doubles man for you. Since doubles are plentiful the market tends to weed out the bad ones pretty easily. Lots of people buying means they are at least decent.
3. Ask for condiments. Again, doubles are great by themselves, but good condiments go a long way. Pepper is standard. Ask for sweet sauce and cucumber. Both are great on doubles, if they have both you are in good hands. Now if they have even more stuff you are flying high, better yet, if they made the pepper, this person really cares.
4. Ask if they made the bara. Doubles are such a big thing in Trinidad that there is a factory that produces the bara and your local doubles man can go buy instead of making it themselves. For an exceptional doubles experience, you want a doubles man who makes them. They are operating on a significantly higher level.
5. What else is on sale? I am a believer in a doubles and an Apple J. If they have Apple J on sale you are really in for a treat. However, if they also have aloo pie or saheena, you should try one. They are delicious.

These are the basics for finding a great doubles man. There is nothing quite like eating a fresh doubles on the side of the road. Absolutely delicious. These days people have been very innovative, and you can have all types, some people sell chicken with their doubles for example. I say try it all, Trini food is delicious. Just make sure you check for cleanliness. That tip, I really can’t stress enough. Getting food poisoning really is the worst.

These are my basic tips but what are your tips for picking a good doubles man?