Michael Shaikh

“Michael Shaikh knows what our mothers and grandmothers have known for generations: that our recipes tell the stories of who we are so that we never forget.”

—José Andrés, World Central Kitchen

“The Last Sweet Bite beautifully demonstrates how a cuisine can not only hold communities together, but also help them rebuild after a crisis.”

—Alice Waters, founder of Chez Panisse and New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Simple Food

“Through intimate stories of community and resistance, Michael Shaikh shows us how violence is erasing beloved food traditions, and how people are risking it all to save them.”

—Nathan Thrall, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Day in the Life of Abed Salama

“Michael Shaikh uncovers how food nourishes not just the physical body, but how it enlivens memories, shapes identities, and carries hope from one generation to the next. This is a book of resilience for our times.”

—Rachel Martin, Award-winning journalist and host of Wild Card from NPR

“This book is a rare and brilliant examination of the abuses of state power against marginalized cultures through the destruction of their culinary heritage.”

—Grace M. Cho, author of the National Book award-nominated Tastes Like War

“Countless cultures around the world endure the destruction of their identities and foodways. Michael Shaikh’s experiences in regions marred by intense trauma show us the power of food and resistance embedded in recipes passed down through generations.”

—Sean Sherman, Oglala Lakota and awarding winning chef, author and founder of The Sioux Chef and NATIFS.org

“Food can help us recall our enduring traditions and restore our full humanity. Thanks to Michael Shaikh, the world will now be able to further appreciate and amplify the food, culture, and resilience of people buried behind the front page.”

—Michael W. Twitty, James Beard Award-winning author of The Cooking Gene

War changes every part of human culture: art, education, music, politics. Why should food be any different? My first book, The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found, uncovers the hidden phenomenon of how violence changes cuisine. A combination of travel writing, memoir, and cookbook, I show how genocide, occupation, and civil war can disappear treasured recipes, but also introduces us to the extraordinary yet overlooked home cooks and human rights activists trying to save them. It will be published by Crown on June 24, 2025. READ MORE…

ABOUT Michael Shaikh

“Michael Shaikh is an experienced human rights investigator with a knack for compelling storytelling. His book is a deeply informed study and delicious adventure through culinary history.”

—Kenneth Roth, Former executive director of Human Rights Watch and author of Righting Wrongs

Michael Shaikh is a writer and human rights investigator who has worked for twenty years in areas marred by political crisis and armed conflict. He has worked at Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, the Center for Civilians in Conflict, the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the New York City Mayor’s Office. Michael is on the board of Adi Magazine. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he lives in New York City. READ MORE…

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