Jaishankar samples Trinidad's iconic 'doubles'

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar sampled Trinidad and Tobagos popular street food doubles during his visit to the Caribbean nation, with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar describing it as an example of the growing cultural bonds between the two countries.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar sampled Trinidad and Tobago's popular street food 'doubles' during his visit to the Caribbean nation, with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar describing it as an example of the growing cultural bonds between the two countries. Doubles, a popular street food in Trinidad and Tobago with roots in the Indian diaspora, consists of curried chickpeas served between two pieces of fried flatbread and is often compared to India's chole bhature for its flavour profile and chickpea-based preparation. In a social media post on Friday, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said Jaishankar got ''a true taste'' of one of Trinidad and Tobago's most beloved local delicacies, doubles, during his engagements in the country. ''Beyond diplomacy and discussions, it was an opportunity to share the warmth, flavour and spirit of the Trinidad and Tobago people. From India to Trinidad, our bonds continue to grow stronger through friendship, culture and shared heritage,'' she said. Trinidad and Tobago has a large population of Indian origin, descendants of indentured labourers who arrived from India during the colonial era. According to the website of the Indian High Commission here, about 143,000 indentured workers from the Indian subcontinent migrated to Trinidad between 1845 and 1917. A vast majority of these Indian emigrants came from north India and Bihar. The descendants of those indentured workers, now in their fifth or sixth generation, form nearly 40-45 per cent of the total population of 1.36 million (as of 2024), constituting an integral part of the economic, political and social fabric of the country, it states. Jaishankar arrived in Port of Spain from Paramaribo on Friday on the concluding leg of his three-nation tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at deepening India's engagement with the Caribbean nations.