Shaikh is a human rights activist whose work has taken him around the world. It was during a meal in Afghanistan in 2007 that he began to perceive the cost of violence on foodways, when he was offered a dish that he’d never had before in all his time in the country. In his book, “The Last Sweet Bite,” Shaikh visits six places affected by conflict, documenting the changes wrought upon the local cuisine. It’s a mixture of travel writing and memoir — and also preservation, because there are recipes here, too. He’s joining us to talk about it.
Michael Shaikh will be talking about his book on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church 1300 East 569 South. You can find more information here.
Below, we have included one of the recipes from the book "The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found" by Michael Shaikh. Copyright © 2025 by Michael Shaikh. Published in the United States by Crown, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
GUEST –
Michael Shaikh | He’s a writer and a human rights activist. His book is called “The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found.” [Amazon|Bookshop]
Airdate: Wed. Nov., 26, 2025 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Keiko’s Karaage
(Japanese Fried Chicken)
Makes 2 to 4 servings
Karaage is the first dish Keiko taught me to cook in her izakaya. Although karaage is the name for a cooking technique in which different meats or vegetables are marinated and then deep-fried, it is now most closely as-sociated with chicken. Legend has it that the chicken version originated in Ōita Prefecture on Kyushu in southern Japan, up the coast from Keiko’s izakaya in Miyazaki Prefecture. It’s a relative newcomer to Japanese cui-sine, less than one hundred years old. After World War II, Japan intro-duced industrial chicken farming to make up for postwar food shortages. Suddenly faced with a glut of chicken, cooks did the obvious and fried it. Today, karaage is right up there with the best fried chicken recipesaround the world. What’s more, this is communal food. In my experience, kara-age is meat to be eaten with friends, plenty of ice-cold beer, and a bottle of sake.
This recipe calls for two unique ingredients. The first is yuzu kosho, a traditional Kyushu condiment made from fresh green chilies, yuzu (a type of East Asian citrus), and salt, which come together to add a citrusy tang and a touch of spicy heat to the marinade. If you can’t find it, togarashi, a common chili powder seasoning used in Japanese cuisine, is a good substitute. The second is katakuriko, Japanese potato starch — not to be confused with potato flour — which gives the chicken a wonderfully crunchy coating. Look for both of these ingredients in Japanese markets and online.
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake
Thumb-size piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon yuzu kosho or togarashi (see Note), plus more for serving
4 or 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips about 2 inches long and 1½ inches wide
Peanut, canola, or sunflower oil for deep-frying
1 cup potato starch (katakuriko)
½ teaspoon white pepper Fine sea salt
Lemon wedges for serving
Kewpie mayonnaise for serving (optional)
1. In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, stir together the soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, sugar,and yuzu kosho to dissolve the sugar. Add the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken at room temperature for 1 hour. For best results, marinate in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
2. Pour the oil into a large, deep pot to a depth of 3 to 4 inches and heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers between 325° and 335°F.
3. While the oil heats, in a medium bowl, stir together the potato starch, pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Seta wire rack over a sheet pan and place the sheet pan near the potato starch mixture.
4. Working with one or two pieces at a time, toss the chicken pieces with the potato starch mixture, coating them evenly. Be sure to work the mixture into the little crevices. Gently shake off the excess, and place the coated pieces on one side of the rack and let them rest for a few minutes before frying.
5. When the oil is ready, add three or four chicken pieces to the hot oil and fry until the crust is a light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. (There will still be patches of white potato starch, but don’t worry, you’re going to fry them again.) Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, place the chicken on the clean side of the rack to drain. Repeat until all of the chicken is fried, always letting the oil return to 325°F before adding the next batch.
6. After all the chicken is fried, increase the heat of the oil to 375°F. Working in batches, fry each piece again until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Using the skimmer or slotted spoon, return the chicken to the rack to drain again. Sprinkle with yuzu kosho or togarashi. Serve the chicken hot with lemon wedges and with Kewpie mayonnaise, if desired.
NOTE
There are three types of togarashi: ichimi, shichimi, and nanami . Ichimi togarashi is simply red chili powder, while shichimi and nanami togarashi also contain ingredients like sansho pepper, hemp seeds and/or poppy seeds, sesame seeds, ginger, citrus peel, and nori . Nanami togarashi usually contains more citrus than shichimi togarashi . Bottom line: Any togarashi will work in this recipe if you can’t find yuzu kosho . What’s more, you might find yourself sprinkling this stuff on just about everything you eat .