Kebab emoji ๐ข
The kebab emoji ๐ข is officially called oden, a Japanese simmered dish served on skewers. People often use it for any skewered food, especially kebabs.
Published ยท Updated
What the kebab emoji means
The kebab emoji ๐ข shows a wooden skewer with several round pieces, typically brown, orange or white. Its official Unicode name is oden, a Japanese winter dish of simmered fishcakes, tofu, eggs and vegetables served on sticks. Many people call it the kebab emoji because the skewer strongly resembles a kebab of grilled meat and vegetables, but the design is based on oden.
Oden is a classic comfort food in Japan, sold from street stalls and convenience stores during colder months. Oden is often served on skewers, making the pieces easy to pick up. When you use this emoji, the meaning can shift between oden and kebab depending on context โ both are skewered foods, so the symbol works for either.
How people use the kebab emoji
People typically reach for the kebab emoji when talking about street food, skewers or Japanese cuisine. It appears in messages about dinner plans, restaurant reviews or food cravings. For example, someone might send โLetโs get kebabs tonight ๐ขโ to suggest a quick bite.
It also stands in for any skewered dish, from shish kebab to yakitori. In lists of food emojis used to describe a meal, you might see it alongside sushi, curry rice and bento box to suggest an Asian spread.
The emoji can also signal a craving for Japanese comfort food or a nostalgic memory of eating oden at a food stall. Because it is visually simple, it works well in social media captions and short texts.
Compare oden with similar emoji
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| odenU+1F362 | skewered simmered dish, often called kebab emoji | |
| sushiU+1F363 | slices of raw fish on rice, a different Japanese dish | |
| rice ballU+1F359 | onigiri, a triangle of rice often wrapped in seaweed | |
| fish cake with swirlU+1F365 | narutomaki, a sliced fish cake often seen in ramen | |
| bento boxU+1F371 | a boxed Japanese meal with divided compartments |
Oden vs. kebabs: the difference
Oden is a specific dish with a long history. Its ingredients vary by region but commonly include daikon radish, boiled eggs, konjac, chikuwa and hanpen, all simmered for hours in a light dashiโbased broth. The result is savoury, warming and often eaten with karashi mustard.
A kebab, on the other hand, is usually grilled or roasted. Cubes of marinated meat, peppers, onions and sometimes tomatoes are threaded onto a skewer and cooked over flame. The kebab emoji does not differentiate between these two foods; it simply shows a skewer with round pieces, so it can represent both.
How to copy and type the kebab emoji
To copy the kebab emoji, tap or click the ๐ข symbol on this page and paste it anywhere. Some keyboards may also find it under โkebabโ.
On a desktop, press Windows key + full stop (Windows) or Control + Command + Space (macOS) to open the emoji picker, then search for โodenโ. Some apps also let you rightโclick and choose โEmojiโ from the context menu.
Similar food emojis
The kebab emoji sits among other Japanese food emojis that are easy to mix up. Here are a few you might want to compare or use together.
- Sushi shows slices of raw fish on rice, a different Japanese staple.
- Rice ball is onigiri, a triangle of rice often wrapped in seaweed.
- Fish cake with swirl is narutomaki, a sliced fish cake often seen in ramen.
- Bento box is a boxed Japanese meal with divided compartments.
- Curry rice is a plate of rice with Japaneseโstyle curry sauce.
Questions people ask
Is the kebab emoji actually a kebab?
No, the emoji is officially named oden, a Japanese dish of simmered ingredients on skewers. Many people call it the kebab emoji because it looks like a skewer used for kebabs, but the design is based on oden.
What does the kebab emoji mean in a text?
It usually means food on a stick, whether that is a kebab, oden or another skewered snack. It can also signal a craving for street food or a Japanese meal.
How do I type the kebab emoji on my phone?
Open your emoji keyboard and search for โodenโ (the emoji's official name). Some keyboards may also find it under โkebabโ.
Can I use the kebab emoji for a kebab restaurant?
Yes, the kebab emoji works well for a kebab shop or food stall, especially in social media posts or messages. Since there is no dedicated kebab emoji, this is the closest option.
Is there a dedicated kebab emoji?
No, there is no separate kebab emoji in the Unicode set. The oden emoji ๐ข is the standard symbol for any skewered food, including kebabs.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
