rice bowl

Noun

 * 1) A small bowl from which rice is eaten.
 * 2) A region that produces abundant rice.
 * 3) A dish (typically eaten from a bowl) of which rice is a primary ingredient, such as donburi.
 * 4) A person's livelihood or source of income.
 * 5)  A jealously defended institutional resource such as a program, project, or budget.