Episode 27: Michael Shaikh, The Last Sweet Bite: Food, War & Cultural Survival
© Krista Kowalczyk
Michael Shaikh is a New York City–based writer and human rights activist whose work spans nearly two decades across regions shaped by political crisis and armed conflict, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. He is the author of The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found.
His book chronicles a powerful and deeply human exploration of cuisine in conflict zones, revealing the persistence of people striving to protect their food culture in the face of war, genocide, and violence.
The title is drawn from the poem “Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo, which begins, “The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.”
War reshapes every aspect of human culture, art, education, music, and politics, so why should food be any different? Over years investigating human rights abuses, Michael observed how conflict alters not only lives, but how people cook, eat, and preserve tradition. Recipes are adapted, ingredients disappear, and in some cases, cooking itself becomes impossible, placing entire culinary histories at risk.
From home cooks in Myanmar risking everything to preserve tradition, to Muslim Uyghurs forced to eat pork in violation of their beliefs, food emerges as both a tool of control and a form of resistance.
This conversation explores how food is weaponized, and how, even in the darkest circumstances, people hold onto it as a source of identity, dignity, and survival.
Read more about Michael’s book on his website where there is a link to buy the book and more information about previous writing and videos. He is also on instagram @milkshaikh.
To learn more about Micheal and his work, please check out these links: