“There’s nothing more political than food” – Anthony Bourdain
Politics & Pomegranate is a blog dedicated to the politics of food, and politics through food. From government cheese, bread riots, to the battle over hummus, food is exceptionally political and sheds light on socioeconomics and cultural flashpoints. Food can be an interesting means for learning about history and politics that you otherwise may have never explored.
I’m not a food historian, or a political scientist for that matter. But having studied international affairs and conflict resolution in divided societies, and worked on programs to strengthen democracy and governance from the Middle East to the Balkans, I’d like to think I bring some perspective into what divides people and unites them. Much of the time, food plays a role in that.
During Covid, I spent more time with my parents and became interested in learning not only more about my heritage and how to cook Malaysian and Persian cuisine, but the history behind them. This led me to explore the spice trade and the silk road and how different ethnic cuisines were influenced by the mixing of cultures in the hopes of finding the intersection between Malaysian and Persian food.
Then in early 2025, when I was indefinitely furloughed from the international development organization I worked at due to the Trump administration’s funding cuts for foreign assistance, I turned back to food. Aside from stress-eating, I became engrossed in the history and politics of food. The more I learned, the more I realized how much I was actually learning about politics itself through food. Cultural nativism, immigration, social freedoms, weaponization of aid and trade, and corruption are just some of common issues underpinning the politics behind food.
These are tumultuous times and I understand how we sometimes just need to turn off the news to recuperate before digesting more news about the latest efforts to erode our democracy and divide this nation. Everyone needs to recharge sometimes. I hope this blog can provide a brief escape for those wanting to stay immersed in politics, but perhaps through a more palatable lens.
Do you have a question, or recommendations on a topic I should explore? Email me at: politicsandpomegranates@gmail.com.
Politics & Pomegranates 