Whetstone Audio Dispatch

What if a simple loaf of bread could tell the story of an entire place, its resilience, its politics and poetry? In this episode of Whetstone Audio Dispatch, host Meher Varma takes us deep into the heart of Srinagar, Kashmir, where the unmistakable aroma of freshly baked tchot leads her to the neighborhood kandur, a traditional bakery that’s far more than just a place to buy bread. Through convers...

Gardening on Water: The Dal’s Ancient Floating Gardens For thousands of years, Kashmir has been called  jannat (heaven) by Urdu poets, travelers, and tourists. The Dal Lake in Srinagar is a jewel in its crown. Flamingo pink lotuses carpet the waters, and shikaras —small wooden boats— row upon it, making the destination a favorite for Instagram-loving  honeymooners. However, deep in the D...

Whetstone Media brings you an urgent reported episode of Whetstone Audio about the unfathomable and unrelenting war in Palestine and Gaza.  As many as 100,000 Palestinian families depend on native and centuries-old olive and grape crops for their livelihood. We spoke with two Palestinian farmers living in the West Bank about how they have been devastatingly impacted: Nader Muaddi, owner of Mu...

We bring you a very important episode of Whetstone Audio Dispatch. Recently, host Stephen Satterfield spoke with C.W. Mallery, a Black farmer in El Paso, Colorado who has been the victim of racist terrorism on his own property. He and his wife Nicole, his farm and his animals have been experiencing various horrific forms of violence and anti-Black terrorism.  C.W. and Nicole relocated to Colo...

Sri Lanka is in the middle of a burgeoning crisis. With the island nation facing the worst economy crisis in its history, citizens have been left to bear the brunt — with fuel shortages, hours-long power cuts, and a critical shortage in essential commodities such as milk powder and rice. These difficulties have spurred people’s protests across the country. Public anger has been directed towards th...

The most consumed food product in Tunisia is a white bread flute, a baguette, sold at the price of 7 or 9 cents, depending on the size. At its best, it is like a cloud on the inside and crispy on the outside. This inaugural episode of Whetstone Audio Dispatch reporter Layli Foroudi tells the story of how this breadstick came to dominate Tunisian diets and how it relates to the country’s fragile fo...

Whetstone Audio Dispatch is a series of remarkable one-off episodes about global foodways exploring community, climate, activism and politics brought to you by journalists and reporters from around the world. Premiering Friday, March 25, and hosted by Stephen Satterfield (@isawstephen).