What each food subgroup contains
Fruit and vegetables come first, including recent additions like ๐โ๐ฉ lime and ๐ซ root vegetable. Prepared food covers bread, breakfast, meat, fast food and international dishes such as ๐ฎ, ๐ง and ๐ซ. A separate Asian food subgroup collects Japanese and other East Asian favorites like ๐ฃ, ๐ and ๐ฅ, several of which date back to the original Japanese emoji sets. Desserts and candy have their own subgroup, as do drinks, followed by plates, chopsticks and utensils.
Drinks for every occasion
The drink subgroup ranges from โ and ๐ต for a morning break to ๐ป and ๐ฅ for celebrations. ๐ง bubble tea, ๐ง mate and ๐ถ sake reflect drinking traditions from different parts of the world, while ๐ผ serves the youngest audience. Many people send โ to mean โletโs catch up,โ ๐ท to signal a relaxing evening and ๐พ for big announcements. ๐ง ice even works as a joke about someone being cold or very cool.
Double meanings to know
A few food emojis are widely used as innuendo, most famously ๐ and ๐, so think twice before sending them in a work chat. Others have friendly slang meanings: ๐ or ๐ฉ often stand for a treat or cheat day, ๐ฅ hints at healthy living and ๐ง can mean someone is salty or bitter. ๐ฟ is the classic reaction when you are watching drama unfold. As always, context decides which meaning people will read.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a coffee emoji?
Yes. โ hot beverage is the standard cup for coffee or tea, and ๐ต is a teacup without a handle that is often used for green tea. For takeaway drinks, ๐ฅค cup with straw and ๐ง bubble tea are the closest options.
What does ๐ mean in text messages?
Officially ๐ is just a peach, and it is still used for fruit, summer and the US state of Georgia. In casual chats, however, it very often refers to someoneโs backside, so the meaning depends heavily on who is sending it.
Why are there so many Japanese food emojis?
The first emoji sets were created for Japanese mobile phones, so they naturally included everyday Japanese foods like ๐, ๐, ๐ข and ๐ก. Those characters were carried into Unicode, and later releases added dishes from many other cuisines.