leaf or paper placed under a serving dish
A traditional Japanese practice of placing a decorative leaf, branch, or paper under food or offerings for aesthetic and sanitary purposes. Often used in kaiseki cuisine or Shinto rituals.
In kaiseki cuisine, autumn leaves were placed under the dishes as kaishiki.
Kaishiki are always used for Shinto offerings.
Standard kanji spelling for this term.
Alternate kanji form; less common.
Single-character kanji form; rare.
Derived from the verb phrase 掻い敷く, “to spread or lay beneath,” referring to leaves or paper laid under food or a serving vessel.