🍗

poultry leg

Unicode: 1F357

Description

An emoji displaying a steamed rice ball, typically triangular or round, wrapped in a sheet of nori (seaweed). Often depicted with a visible filling or just the rice.

Group:

Food & Drink > food-prepared

Status:

fully-qualified

Emotion:

Typically represents hunger, a desire for Japanese food, comfort food, or a quick, convenient meal. Can also evoke feelings of simple pleasure or tradition.

Backstory

Onigiri (rice balls) have been a part of Japanese cuisine for centuries, originally as a way to carry rice for travel. The emoji was added to Unicode in 2010 (Unicode 6.0) and is a popular representation of Japanese culture and food.

Usage Examples

  • Expressing hunger for Japanese food: 'Craving some onigiri! 🍙'
  • Sharing a meal: 'My lunch today 🍙'
  • Talking about Japanese culture: 'Learning how to make onigiri! 🍙'
  • Symbolizing simplicity: 'Keeping it simple today 🍙'

Cultural Differences

Western culture:

Associated with Japanese cuisine, healthy eating, or 'cute' food items.

East Asian culture:

A staple food item, representing home-cooked meals, convenience store snacks, or picnic food. Very common and integrated into daily life.