Loosely translated to "supplemented rice," Katé-Meshi is a traditional Japanese peasant dish that was developed to enhance rice. Rooted in an act of embellishment, after harvests were partitioned for weddings and funerals, local peasants and laborers would mix the leftover rice scraps with plant-based ingredients like barley, millet, sweet potatoes, seaweed, and wild herbs, expanding their rice rations to increase calorie and nutrient content. 

Today, Katé-Meshi is typically prepared as an event food for Mountain Day, the Peach Flower Festival, and Hanamatsuri (Buddha's birthday), among other celebrations.

Laroot's vegan take on Katé-Meshi mingles sticky, sweet sushi rice with abura-age (slices of fried tofu) for protein and energy, nutty burdock root for blood purification, carrot for vitamin A, peppery daikon for vitamin C, and umami mushrooms for selenium. Served with an iodine- and probiotic-rich seaweed salad of pickled cucumber and eggplant seasoned with rice-wine vinegar, chili oil, and sesame seeds, bringing Ayurvedic tastes of astringency and sourness to the earthiness of the Katé-Meshi.