What it takes to make doubles a national dish Thursday 24 December 2020 In this May 30, 2020 file photo a customer collects her doubles from the popular Yellow Van Doubles in Aranguez on International Doubles Day. FILE PHOTO/SUREASH CHOLAI - QUINCY ROSS It’s been just about three weeks since the morning I woke up and found my Facebook feed smothered in some saucy trolling directed at Minister of Agriculture, Land, and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat. Yet, every walk past a doubles box still triggers some sort of post traumatic doubles disorder. At a Point Fortin Borough Corporation event the minister did one of the top five most dangerous things to do in close range of the Trini public: he said some not so favourable things about doubles. In any context, that was a belly move. From harshly worded status updates to a local celebrity in semi-formal threads dining at his favourite doubles vendor in celebration and adoration, the public made their position on doubles as a national dish clear. The minister suggested that there is no need to put doubles in the realm of national breakfast, lunch or dinner because the ingredients are all imported. Like a bite of bara and channa with five times more roast pepper than was ordered, the minister’s suggestion was hard for most to swallow. And to put the chutney on top, he went on to express his displeasure at the DIY doubles period of the covid19 lockdown, in which almost every citizen with an internet connection and a link to Bridgette Joseph’s doubles recipe on eatahfood.com, posted their creations. It’s very safe to say, the people did not like what the minister was serving.