Our country is so diverse, we have equally diverse ways of doing things ever emerging. The latest is, of course, the manner of eating our now established official street food-doubles.

Various stories have emerged on the evolution of the delicacy. There is now something of a twist in the manner of eating doubles.

The knife and fork, as accultured by the honourable minister, has sparked more interest than expected, even in the face of no fixed or established method of doubles eating.

Doubles is, in everyday language, a sandwich of two baras and channa with condiments of choice, similar to a bread and cheese or egg or pudding sandwich-all of which have an established eating method wellknown to us. There was the original doubles, eaten as any other such dish, and using one hand, as we do with any other sandwich.

In between this, we have observed the popular act of now consuming it with two hands, and it being served by vendors accordingly. The original ‘one-hand’ operation was possible because the channa was fixed and not ‘flowing’ as it is today-which paved the way for this deviation from the good old days.

Which is the best or worst method will never be useful to establish.

Those critical of any method may well realise the doubles of today are quite a far cry from the delicacy of yesteryear-I wish we could go back there!

Our street food, all the same, remains a unifying agency in sweet T&T and brings all people of our rainbow country together.

If we can double the employment it provides in its preparation, this could diversify the economy.

Let’s enjoy our heritage and keep our variety-of not only food, but of all our inheritances from our foreparents-a likely positive activity for a T&T week or month.

May we continue to dwell together in unity.

For the love of country…

Lennox Sirjuesingh

Chaguanas