The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found

by Michael Shaikh

War changes every part of human culture: art, education, music, politics. Why should food be any different? For nearly twenty years, Michael Shaikh’s job was investigating human rights abuses in conflict zones. Early on, he noticed how war not only changed the lives of victims and their societies, it also unexpectedly changed the way they ate, forcing people to alter their recipes or even stop cooking altogether, threatening the very survival of ancient dishes.

A groundbreaking combination of travel writing, memoir, and cookbook, The Last Sweet Bite uncovers how humanity’s appetite for violence shapes what’s on our plate. Animated by touching personal interviews, original reporting, and extraordinary recipes from modern-day conflict zones across the globe, Shaikh reveals the stories of 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. From a sprawling refugee camp in Bangladesh and a brutal civil war in Sri Lanka to the drug wars in the Andes and the enduring effects of America’s westward expansion, Shaikh highlights resilient diasporic communities refusing to let their culinary heritage become another casualty of war.

Much of what we eat today or buy in a market has been shaped by violence; in some form, someone’s history and politics is on the dinner table. The Last Sweet Bite aims to tell us how it got there. Weaving together histories of food, migration, human rights, and recipes, Shaikh shows us how reclaiming lost cuisines is not just a form of resistance and hope but also how cooking can be a strategy for survival during trying times.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Food, Cookbooks, Audiobook, Cooking, Memoir

320 pages, Hardcover

Published June 24, 2025

Reviews

[Jifu · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)

This book in many ways is a collection of stories of repression, if not flat-out attempted genocide at times, so much so that at times it was almost uncomfortable to read on multiple different levels. The chapter on the Rohingya people’s persecution and resulting statelessness broke my heart, and right after that reading about the systematic and multi-layered oppression weighed upon the Uyghur by the Chinese government in Beijing stirred genuine anxiety in me. However, The Last Sweet Bite is also very, very much a collection of stories of resilience that include individual parents striving to pass recipes to their children, talented and passionate chefs reviving, reinventing, and shining spotlights on their native cuisines, and tireless activists from all walks of life.

And overall, it’s a book that packs a mighty informative punch to the mind. Shaikh shares everything from glimpses into several cultural traditions, musings on the importance of cuisine to cultural identity, and also of course reminders about the myriad injustices that wrought so much pain and led to the endangerment of the cuisines highlighted here in the first place. This is definitely my first read of 2025 that I can sincerely and without hesitation call eye-opening in the best, most appreciate way possible.

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Crown Publishing for sending me a free copy!

Michael Shaikh’s job as a human rights investigator has taken him all over the world. He has frequently worked in areas in the midst of conflict and crisis. In THE LAST SWEET BITE he discusses how turmoil and upheaval have an effect on the food people eat.

The Soviet invasion of the country formerly known as Czechoslovakia led to cooking standards being put in place. The cuisine in this country was severely stifled during this period as certain ingredients were hard to find and you risked getting in trouble if you deviated from the rules.

The US war on drugs has had a negative impact for South American farmers of the coca plant. While it can be refined to make cocaine, there are many therapeutic uses as well. While the US gives Coca-Cola free rein to use the plant, unfair restrictions financially cripples the farmers wanting to grow it for reasons not related to drug trade.

Food is a big part of every culture. It can be a source of joy and a sign of love. It’s sad how some cooking styles have been lost and forgotten due to years of people being forced into survival mode. Recipes handed down from generation to generation are treasures. A sliver of hope is how oftentimes the importance of traditions are recognized and people will fight to preserve them.

Recommend reading to any food or history lover. An added bonus is quite a few recipes from the regions featured are included in the book.

[Eliza Barter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Sweet Bite took us on a bittersweet journey (no pun intended) sharing lost food and cultures due to war, fear, discrimination, assimilation, colonization, environmental warfare, etc.

The worst part is that it is still happening today at such a rapid pace. I think we often think of WW2 and concentration camps, but those exist today in different forms.

It reminds me that culture and tradition should be celebrated. We all have much to learn from those who are different than us.

It is sad to hear about peoples livelihoods taken from them. its not an easy subject to deliver, but its a form of resistance to read it.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy.

Shaikh frequently encountered war-torn or conflict areas. During this time he was able to examine how these conflicts change the foodways, cultures, and food traditions in those areas. In this book he combines those experiences with the history and current changes for those foodways. And even throws in some recipes at the end of each chapter.

The book flip flops between positive (recipes, overcoming hardship, reconnecting to food) and truly horrific explanations of some of the ways food can be used as punishment (the use of forbidden foods to show "loyalty" or face repercussions). I think what's most disheartening is that this is modern issues, these aren't historical. These are active things happening now.

This book is a great exploration of modern sociology in conflict areas for food. I highly recommend to anyone who focuses on food and community.

Review by M. Reynard 2025

[Jayne Gerdeman Homsher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the art of cooking and just the pleasure of reading cookbooks that can really tell the changes to our country trends and heritage changes over time. This book shares so much knowledge in a unique way to tell us what we have lost and found over the years. I urge you to read this book if you enjoy food and food history.

[Emerson Prentice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is FANTASTIC!!!! It is incredibly informative yet riveting. It’s not a light read—Shaikh deals with numerous heavy topics and events—but he managed to keep the book very engaging and even, at times, hopeful. I feel like I took away so so much about current and historical events, cultures across the globe, and various cuisines and their histories. This is by far one of the coolest and most thought provoking books I have read in a long time.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Sweet Bite is one of the most unique books I have read in the last few years. Shaikh explores how culinary culture is impacted by oppression, war, and genocide. The history, interviews, and recipes commingle in such a way that made time disappear while reading this book. The interviews are done in a very respectful way where the person's voice is able to shine and are incredibly informative. The Last Sweet Bite shows what happens to culinary culture when food is forced to be standardized by another country (Czech Republic under the USSR), the global criminalization of a local ingredient (Bolivia and the Andes), the limited use of knives (China and the Uyghurs), among other histories. My one regret when it comes to this book is that, at the time of this review, I haven't found the time to try to make some of these recipes.

[bookcookery]

The Last Sweet Bite is part memoir, part recorded conversations, and overall, a thoughtful reflection on how violence and conflict disrupt cultural heritage, particularly in the traditionally feminine and often undervalued space of cooking.

Shaikh’s work stands out in the way it presents recipes. These aren’t generic “best” versions or polished reinterpretations. Each dish is deeply rooted in individual experience, recipes shaped by the people who shared them, often alongside deeply personal histories. Through interviews from each of the different geographical regions, Shaikh provides both a broad cultural context and a sharply focused sense of place. It’s a celebration of food that honors memory and survival amidst devastation.

From the book, I cooked: Tamim’s Saland-e Nakhod (Afghan Chickpea Stew), Roman and Jana’s Šišky s Mákem (Potato Dumplings with Poppy Seeds and Powdered Sugar), Roman and Jana’s Bramborové Šišky se Zelím a Slaninou (Potato Dumplings with Sauerkraut and Bacon), Marhaba’s Uyghur Polo, and Marian’s Piñon Nut Cookies.

The chickpea stew was hearty and comforting. The dumplings were excellent, especially the savory version with sauerkraut (I subbed the smoked bacon with tempeh). That dish, along with the sauercaccia recipe from Kenji Morimoto’s Ferment, has definitely convinced me to eat and cook with more sauerkraut. The Uyghur Polo hit a deeply satisfying note I didn’t realize I’d been craving (I used a mix of soy curls and tofu in place of the lamb shoulder), and the subtle heat of white pepper was so good I made it twice. The piñon nut cookies were intriguing, not sweet enough for my unsophisticated palate, but when paired with warm sweetened soy milk, they made for a surprisingly luxurious breakfast.

This is an engaging and thoughtful book. It prompted me to reflect on how government policies, agricultural methods, and food access shape what ends up on our plates and on how we can and should all work to preserve these recipes, culinary history, and culture.

Note: I usually try recipes as written, and especially given the subject of this book, I approached them with care and respect. Due to dietary restrictions, I used plant-based substitutes for yogurt, lard, butter, eggs, smoked bacon, and lamb shoulder. I hope these adjustments are received as modifications made with deep appreciation for the original recipes and their cultural significance.

Many thanks to Crown and NetGalley for providing an advance reading copy.

[Caro;) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite nonfiction books ever. I read it pretty slowly because I didn’t want it to end. The connection between genocide and food culture is a link I never considered but it is fascinating and tells a deeper story of oppression, culture, and resilience. The book was also beautifully written, with each chapter focusing on a different food culture/group of people. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and to the author for writing this book!

[Bibliohiker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I’m a big fan of food histories and this was right up my alley. I was also happy to see several recipes included in the book as well. This book also tells how various groups are trying keep their ways of cooking and recipes alive. How history has changed so much and unfortunately what has been lost.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hm so so many thoughts… this was such an informative book and I learned a LOT of very intriguing (and devastating) history as this book takes readers through lost culture and food as an impact of war and violence. This felt like a mix of history textbook and journal of personal anecdotes. I struggled to get through this book both due to depressing subject matter but also it was extremely slow at times. However, I am more educated after reading this so I can appreciate that — from learning more about how war and communism impacted food in Prague or what the coca leaf really is and its actual ties to Coca-Cola (coca leaf isn’t actually cocaine when in raw leaf form)!

[Nyah Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully told collection of stories and histories through the lens of food. Each chapter follows a different country/community/ethnic group and how government regimes, politics and/or genocide have shaped food access, practices and culture. Wonderful story telling that mixes history and research with conversations and stories from real members of the respective communities the author is writing about. So unique and so well done.

[Shathana K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the most thought provoking book I've read in a long time. It was very fascinating to learn about how conflicts affect the diets of various cultures.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note - I received this book via NetGalley as an advanced readers copy)

This book nearly brings together culinary tradition and geopolitical history into an engrossing package. The author comes from a human rights background and definitely demonstrates depth of knowledge not only in his chosen cultural heritage topics but in how he describes tragic and complex situations.

I do generally enjoy reading history and books on the social sciences but found the broad histories educational without being overwhelming (which can’t be easy to do).

In the course of reading this book, I was able to eat at a Ugyhur restaurant (delicious) and I’m hoping to try one of the recipes soon.

[Ailin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food has always felt intimate to me; sharing a meal with someone can mean sharing a part of your culture. In this book, stories of oppression, diaspora, and genocide are explored and recipes shared to help continue and share the recipes fraught with the weight of a person's trauma. There was so much information packed into this book and many of the recipes I wrote down to make myself as they all sounded delicious.

Shaikh is a human rights is a human rights activist and has a journalistic style that did separate me from the atrocities I was reading about while also sharing the information and telling stories of individuals. It is a story of how food connects us and each chapter could be its own book.

Overall, a powerful read with human stories and some great recipes I'll be putting in rotation. Thank you to NetGalley, the Crown and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Last Sweet Bite releases June 24th!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based on an advance copy.

I was very intrigued by the idea of this book - looking at the culinary and by extension cultural effects of wars, forced occupations and unrest around the world. Unfortunately, the book was a bit uneven. In some sections, Shaikh does a great job sticking with his advertised focus, but in other sections, the food is mostly just a background and references to it feel rather forced while he expounds on the atrocities in general. Not that this isn't important, but there are other sources and references for this and I wasn't looking to read more of the same again. I also found some of the recipes disappointing. While I'm glad that this does its part in preserving fading recipes, some of the ingredients are really hard to get and there are some recipes where it is stated that it really isn't the same without the fresh ingredients from these places. I also wish there were more recipes. If a mouth watering food is described in the text, there should be a recipe for it!

However, there are some absolutely standout chapters that will really make you question what you were taught in school, particularly the chapters on coca and amaranth.

Overall, a worthwhile read, but it could have been better. Now I'm off to find some amaranth!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke me and has me really thinking about the food cultures I know about, restaurants around me, how we eat. I keep thinking about how my grandma has a particular coleslaw recipe that I never see replicated and that I'd be devasted if I couldn't have it, and that amplified is the feeling of losing your food culture. 

Covers: Rohingya (Burma), Pueblo Nations (and amaranth), The Czech Republic, Eelam Tamil (Sri Lanka), Uyghurs (China), Bolivia (the coca leaf)

[LiteraryGamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

I was super interested in this book because I love food, and I love learning about different cultures and where ideas for recipes originated. This book sort of had that, but it also felt like the author wanted to focus on the history of the regions the food comes from. So while we did get what I wanted, it wasn’t enough, and then it dipped into history that was important, but not what I thought the vast majority book would be about.

I do believe I learned a lot, from the way British colonization forced food on Muslims and outlawed traditional foods, to how the Manhattan Project filled the Pueblo nations with radiated food that still lingers. The importance of food traditions was heavily stressed, and those were the parts of the book I loved the most.

Shaikh’s conversations with people in their homes or restaurants while they cook food were the best parts. Hearing about culture and tradition from those voices was more interesting to me than when the author started diving deep into history, although I realize the history of food and the history of a location go hand in hand, it’s the entire point of the book.

Shaikh does dive deep. At times, it felt very dry, but I kept going because when it was good, it was very good. It was interesting learning about coca and how far the United States has gone to demonize it as actual cocaine, and sometimes this book felt like it would go hand in hand with 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑑 by Sim Kern. This could have been two separate books very easily, but everything is blended together, making some sections feel very long.

If you love history and food, this is going to be a wonderful book for you to read. There are recipes throughout, and while I’m not a cook, I’m definitely passing the ones that caught my eye to the cook in our family.

[Ula Tardigrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and surprising book. Although I have always appreciated the cultural value of food, I had never considered the importance of culinary heritage as one of the basic human rights - but the author makes a very convincing case. As he writes,

“Cuisine is more than an expression of what society eats on any given day; it’s a repository of people’s history handed down from generation to generation. Cuisine is akin to language. In its most rudimentary form, a cuisine is a way of one society communicating to another where its cultural, and in some cases territorial, boundaries begin and end. And like a language, a cuisine can change or even disappear when a community comes under intense pressure to integrate with another, more powerful group and is forced to surrender its identity”.

This thesis is supported by many real-life examples drawn from the author's direct experience as a human rights investigator working in many very different parts of the world. You will find some well-known stories here, such as the persecution of the Rohingya or Uyghurs, but also many relatively obscure cases, such as Tamils in Sri Lanka or coca growers in Bolivia.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in food and/or international affairs. This book will change your mind, you will never look at cooking as a mundane task again.

Thanks to the publisher, Crown, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fascinating book about food history and the challenges of preserving recipes in the face of conflict, Michael Shaikh offers readers insights into the unique food cultures of the Czech Republic, Sri Lanka and the Tamil diaspora, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China’s Uyghur population, the Andean region of Bolivia, the Pueblo Nations of North America, and other populations within the United States. Drawing on interviews with locals as well as other sources to uncover the complex histories and social dynamics of these countries, Shaikh explores how food is a reflection of the nation’s political and social stability under peaceful or hostile regimes. Providing recipes at the end of each chapter, Shaikh helps keep these recipes and cultures alive by sharing them with the readers. With incredible prose and fascinating insights into these cultures, readers will love this brilliant new release and its unique take on global politics and internal and external conflicts. Brilliantly written and offering profound insights into these cultures, readers will love this international culinary journey that Shaikh guides them on. The book is well-written, engaging, and incredibly interesting, and readers will be totally immersed in this fascinating social history of food, community, and survival in the offered case studies.

Thanks to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and Crown for the advance copy.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.26 out of 5 Stars
**ARC received by NetGalley -- Thank you!**

This book really stayed with me long after I finished it. It blends food, travel, and human stories in a way that feels both intimate and eye-opening, showing how conflict touches everyday life through something as universal as cooking. Shaikh writes with a lot of care and empathy, and you can feel how much these stories matter to him. While some moments are heavy, the emotional impact is what makes the book so meaningful, and it never felt exploitative to me. Overall, it’s a thoughtful, moving read that I’d happily give four stars for how deeply it connects culture, memory, and resilience.

On a broad level, I love how unique the book's approach is. It’s not just a food book and it’s not just about conflict — it’s about how the two are deeply intertwined. Shaikh shows that food can be a form of resistance, remembrance, and survival, which isn’t something you see explored this way very often. By focusing on how our food traditions and cultures are at risk of disappearing based on the world events around us, the book offers a fresh perspective on cultural preservation. That unique blend of storytelling, history, and cuisine is what truly sets it apart.

[Carol Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing more tender than a chef's love for their art. Michael Shaikh knows that there are a thousand ways that war and governments can flatten culinary landscapes. He has gathered recipes to mitigate the effects, in a small way, of global violence and gifts the reader with their stories. Shaikh's novel showcases the power that sitting down to a meal can have in journalism--there were so many times, working at Sodexo, where I wished the head offices would SIT with their chefs. Listen to their requests and needs, instead of wasting their culinary talents on paperwork. It reminded me of chefs in Czechoslovakia, who had to submit requests to the KSČ, knowing their requests would likely never be approved. Uyghur, Palestinian, Tamil... If we won't listen to people share their passion for food, we risk becoming inured to their struggles.

[Chelsea Cauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Food is memory. Food is resistance. Food is survival.”

This book will wreck you in the most meaningful way. The Last Sweet Bite is a powerful and deeply moving blend of memoir, human rights journalism, and culinary storytelling that shines a spotlight on something most of us have never really considered before: how war and violence reshape what we eat and the lasting implications that has on our culinary traditions.

Michael Shaikh takes readers through war-torn regions of the world sharing stories of home cooks and families fighting to preserve their culinary heritage against all odds.

His voice is steady and compassionate never sensationalizing their pain but honoring it. The interviews are intimate and the recipes included feel like whispered secrets passed from one generation to the next.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Sweet Bite takes a unique path, offering recipes sourced from around the globe through the lens of ethnography, specifically examining how war and violence shape the foodways of cultures. Author Michael Shaikh chooses to highlight communities that are often ignored or forgotten by those removed from the realities of conflict.

While the dishes themselves sound delicious, I found myself even more drawn to the writing that provides their context. Over the past four years, I have been opening my eyes more fully to the geopolitical state of the world, and this book felt like a meaningful part of that ongoing education. The Last Sweet Bite functions not just as a cookbook, but as an accessible introduction to understanding where we are right now, globally. I would strongly recommend it as a thoughtful beginner’s course in seeing the world more clearly.

[TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE studying food and culture and have since I was in undergrad and took a course on that topic. Michael Shaikh’s stories and recipes are curated from the cuisine in conflict or war zones. It’s about the histories of food, migration, human rights, and politics because how we cook can be resistance and also survival.

I predict The Last Sweet Bite book will many awards. It’s highly readable and fascinatingly written. Even though it travels to hard places, it’s filled with hope and ultimately uplifting. Food is cultural identity. Food heals. Storytelling heals, too. Beautiful.

I received a gifted copy from Crown.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book truly overdelivers. The Last Sweet Bite is a mix of thought provoking storytelling, and heartfelt recipes. The prose explores how war, oppression, and displacement threaten to erase entire cultures, in a form one may not think. Shaikh brilliantly displays how culinary heritage is at risk against xenoism, racism, sexism, and the other atrocities that accompanies these attacks.

If you're a foodie, a social justice advocate, or just someone with empathy and a willingness to learn, this book will move you. It’s not just about cooking, it’s about remembering, reclaiming, and preserving identity. A must-read.

[Kristen Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly I think this should be required reading for everybody. I work at a high school and I wish we read things like this instead of the old classics. This book is right up my alley and that it blends food and culinary tradition with cultures and activism. The author also has an incredibly interesting backstory, working in places such as me and Myanmar and Afghanistan to cover genicide. He blends in his own Pakistani experience as well, which adds a lot to the book. Lastly…he includes recipes to make Uygar, Rohingya, and other recipes that you would rarely find elsewhere. 10/10! Also I will now be growing Amaranth to resurrect that grain in the American diet.

[cambria ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent—well-researched, engaging, and taught me a lot I did not know. I've read many food history books, but never one about how war, conflict, genocide, or persecution affected what people ate.

It was not a *fun* read, per se, based on the heavy subject matter, but I still really enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Bolivia and the coca leaf (had no idea that it was an edible plant widely consumed in South America), while the sections on the Rohingya and Uyghur peoples were especially heartbreaking.

Highly recommend to any food history fan.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating nonfiction that looks at how violence (and often war) has changed food culture. It’s an ode to the power of food and the place it has in any culture. Food helps us to hold onto traditions and our humanity. Many cultures over time, and to this day, are forced to endure destruction of their identities and this author highlights instances where that has happened (and as he points out, this is a microcosm of them). It’s a book about culinary heritage, pride and good food. It’s also a set of very insightful history lessons to highlight his points.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do war and oppression change culinary heritage and subsequent identity? Shaikh, with his years as a human rights investigator for the UN, is adept at respectfully and accurately exploring this theme. Due to the horrifying nature of international violence in this book, it took me quite long to get through since I could only face in when I was in the right headspace. I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in how geopolitical conflict affects local cuisines.

Thank you Crown Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC!