🍚 Someii (Colored Rice)

Someii, also known as "Seto's Someii," has been sold at teahouses in the former Sechimachi Village (now part of Fujieda City) along the old Tokaido highway since the Warring States period. It has been known as a specialty of the Tokaido region. The process involves steaming glutinous rice, dyeing it with gardenia fruit, and then crushing and spreading it thinly into the shape of an oval coin, which is then dried and served as portable food or ration. The dried gardenia fruit was believed to have medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, and diuretic effects, making Someii popular as a food that helped relieve fatigue in the legs and lower back. Someii is an ancient dish that even appeared in the novel "Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige" written by Jippensha Ikku, a famous classical writer. However, over time, it became a dish enjoyed only by a limited number of households. About 60 years ago, it was on the verge of being forgotten, but then a bento (boxed lunch) vendor in Fujieda City collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce to revive it. They transformed the dried rice into a modern onigiri (rice ball) that could be quickly consumed.