biang biang noodles

biang biang noodles

　　Biang biang noodles are a famous Shaanxi specialty, also known as belt noodles, and are one of the Eight Oddities of Shaanxi.

　　This winding, clever, and humorous combination of the "biang" character encapsulates the regional characteristics of the noodles, the eater's experience, key elements of the making process, ingredients, seasonings, and the hard work of the noodle makers, as well as the bold personality and spirit of the people of Qin—open-hearted, principled, and resilient, embracing both great hardship and great joy. It reflects the proud food culture of the Shaanxi people. A single strand of biang biang noodle can be two to three inches wide and about a meter long, with thickness ranging from that of a coin when thick to as thin as a cicada’s wing. One single noodle can be a full meal, and for those with larger appetites in the Guanzhong region, eating eight taels or even a full jin (500g) in one sitting is no trouble at all.

　　The "biang" character is not a design but a written character. Its form is extremely complex, with numerous strokes, and it is not recorded in any traditional dictionaries, including the Kangxi Dictionary. Its pronunciation also cannot be spelled out in standard Mandarin. Most outsiders do not recognize it. It is the name of a type of noodle eaten in the Guanzhong area of Shaanxi: oil-splashed spicy biangbiang noodles. The word "Biangbiang" is simply a stand-in. This character is like the self-given title "曌" (Zhào) by Empress Wu Zetian—an invention used nowhere else.

　　There are various versions in both urban and rural areas of Guanzhong, but they are largely similar. If you follow the tongue-twister, a quaint, dignified, and vivid "biang" character will appear before your eyes.

　　The Shaanxi Guanzhong biangbiang noodle nursery rhyme goes like this: “A dot rises to the sky, the Yellow River makes two bends, an eight-wide mouth opens wide, the speech radical climbs up high, you twist and I twist, you stretch and I stretch, add a horse king in the middle, a heart radical with a moon beside, hang a little ding called the horse bar, sit in a cart and stroll through Xianyang.”

　　The pronunciation of the "biang" character and the term "biangbiang" is onomatopoeic, and the sound-based naming comes from the following:

　　1. The sound "biangbiang" made when the dough is rolled and stretched on the work surface;

　　2. The sound "biangbiang" made when the noodles are dropped into the boiling pot and hit the edge;

　　3. The sound "biangbiang" made when the noodles are scooped out and mixed with seasonings;

　　4. The sound "biangbiang" made when the noodles are near the mouth upon eating;

　　5. Noodles with these sound characteristics are especially chewy and elastic, offering a satisfying bite.