Clarence doubles down after 'national dish' backlash

COMMENTS made by Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat on Monday regarding doubles stirred up anger among doubles lovers, resulting in him having to clarify his statements.

Speaking at the Point Fortin Borough Corporation's grow box distribution at the Fanny Village Recreational Ground on Monday, Rambharat said doubles is "100 per cent imported content" and questioned its popularity, referring to it as the "national dish."

"I don't have any problem with a bara ever so often. But to see people dressed for work in all their fineries, 5 am and 6 am standing up by a doubles man and then coming back lunchtime by a next doubles man" he said adding that he hoped the pandemic would have caused citizens to choose healthier food.

He said while he was hopeful the covid19 pandemic caused people to opt for more healthy options, he was disappointed by the viral challenge encouraging people to make doubles at home and post pictures to social media.

After the article was published, readers typed their frustrations saying doubles was the food of the poor man and accused Rambharat of being elitist.

“Clarence I find you very fast and out off place, what is wrong with people dressed and waiting for doubles. The majority of our food is imported. Instead of attacking our food how about finding solutions to our food importation bill. Invest in farmers. Last I checked people are free to buy what they want to eat,” said one comment.

Another read: “What are the Ministry of Agriculture's plans to assist farmers to produce raw materials for the use in the production of doubles? Can you recommend alternative products? Is the ministry doing any research to grow channa and wheat substitutes?”

In a Facebook post to the group Friends of Clarence, Rambharat said his comments were accurately reported, however, they lacked context.

In clarifying his comments he posted: “I made the point that we imported that culture and our diets shifted away from whole foods to imported processed food. Our diets shifted further into bought meals instead of home-cooked meals. I made the point that when I worked in oil and gas in Port of Spain I was surprised how many persons bought fast-food dinners for their families everyday.”

Newsday spoke with two doubles vendors who both felt the comments to be an attack on their business. Richard Clark, owner of Big Boyz Doubles said while the channa (chick peas) are imported, many of the other ingredients are locally sourced from local farmers.

“It is a mixture of both (imported and local contents). I am not angry at him, this morning a few customers told me about it but doubles is a local dish. A lot of things are not healthy for us like those fast-food chains but he didn't talk about them. I googled and read that channa is brain food.”

Sauce Doubles, Curepe branch owner Kelly Hosein-Richards said she could not understand the comments made by the minister.

“It's poor people who came up with this and it became a national dish. Smoking is not healthy but people smoke two packs a day. Drinking is not healthy but the bars are always filled. Why didn’t he talk about the other foods like gyro and burgers.”

Clark said he was worried that the comments were leading to a direction of taxing the doubles vendors as was suggested in 2018 by attorney Angelique Bart. That suggestion also stirred up controversy among doubles vendors and consumer alike. Clark added that with doubles you can have your cake and eat it too even if you eat doubles everyday, as long as you exercise regularly.

Hosein-Richards added that the comments seemed to mirror what was said earlier this year during the height of the pandemic when doubles vendors were not allowed to sell while other food businesses were being allowed too.

“He is just targeting us. We are local food, totally made in TT. Our dish came from us. I mean it kinda funny but we are not giving up. He probably get too much pepper in one of his doubles.”

In response to Rambharat’s comments, president of the Agricultural Society Dhano Sookoo itemised some of the ingredients in doubles highlighting that they are all local and supporting doubles meant supporting local farmers and local businesses.

Rambharat in clarifying his statements added: “I said people were cooking at home because they had to – restaurants were closed. I then said that I was disappointed that lots of people were showing off their doubles but not healthier food with higher local content."

He said it was at that point that he said he had no problems with eating doubles but not multiple times a day, everyday.

“I said one thing was the high imported content so that it’s part of the food import Bill but also it is not healthy food that can be eaten without consequences. I pointed to the various reports on our nation’s health and the crisis of NCDs and obesity. I said again- I did not have a problem with eating doubles but it was in my view not something you should be eating a few times a day, everyday.”