Toppa Top 10: Ten Trini Street Foods to Eat at Trinidad Carnival

1. Doubles

At most any public hub on the island you will notice scores of people lining up around a tiny stand, and requesting “doubles with slight.” One of the most popular street foods in the country —okay, the most popular — doubles is comprised of curried channa (aka chickpeas) on top of an extremely thin bake/roti hybrid known as barra. So popular is this delicacy that it’s even offered in the most expensive, all-inclusive Carnival parties, and mentioned in Trinidadian songs, such as Mark Hardy and Yung Rudd’s “Iz A Trini.” The best part of the experience is the condiments: savory mango and tamarind sauces, chadon beni, cucumber chutney or, if you’re real lucky, some roasted coconut chutney.

Tip: When ordering doubles, refer to the amount of pepper you want. Most times, the pepper is HOTTTT so careful what you request. Slight = a little, please. Heavy = slather it on. That, however, is not for the faint of heart…