Biang Biang Noodle recipe authentic (2024)

Biang Biang Noodle recipe authentic (1)

My absolute obsession is spicy noodles and if you've been on social media lately you'll see the noodles that have taken the world by storm! Biang Biang noodles are thick noodles that could double as a belt. It is said that one biang biang noodle can fill an entire rice bowl (and it's true!). Learn how to make these surprisingly easy noodles - I promise, you'll be as stunned as I was as to how fun and tasty they are!

I once tried hand pulling noodles. It was nothing short of a dismal failure. We could still eat them but there were no long, silky strands, just tiny little pieces of noodle.

But I promise that if you hold my hand Dear Reader and follow these instructions, you'll soon be doing your own Biang Biang pull with a batch of your home made noodles.

First, a little history of these noodles. Some say the word "biang" comes from the sound the dough makes when it hits the counter while others suggest it's from the noise made when chewing these thick, delicious noodles. The Chinese character for these noodles is one of the most complex kanjis with 58 strokes. Biang biang noodles originate in the Shanxii province of central China, specifically Xi’an, a lesser known Chinese cuisine than say Cantonese or Sichuan but no less delicious.

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Xi’an is located at the terminus of the Silk Route and has its own cuisine borne of a combination of influences particularly Islamic. These noodles are a peasant food as they're economical to make and they are filling. The North of China tends to have less rice than the South due to the climate differences as rice needs a lot of water to grow. In the North there are more grains grown like wheat, millet and sorghum. There's nothing fancy in these noodles and the sauce is usually a simple one made with chilli flakes, oil, garlic and shallots. These are vegan but don't taste it because they are just so full of flavour.

The noodles are thick, chewy and enormously satisfying and highly addictive. They vary somewhat, some with smooth edges, some jagged like a fancy ribbon. Once you've made a batch you'll see exactly why they vary from noodle to noodle. The stretching process is fascinating but quite easy - the only caveat is that these are pulled just before cooking.

I made a little video to show you how to make biang biang noodles

I've been known to jump in the car and take the drive to Burwood to get my fix at times but now that I know how easy it is to make with all pantry ingredients, that drive will now be taken a lot less often. I thought that with Chinese new year coming up on February 5th that this would be a fitting item to try. Noodles are always good luck in any new year's celebration-the length of noodles suggests a long life and with biang noodles measuring up to 2 metres in length, what could be luckier? Honestly the trickiest thing is writing that kanji (I gave up after a few strokes). I am afraid my talent only extends to eating and not to languages.

When I was around 12 years old and my sister was 11, my parents enrolled us in a weekend Chinese school so we would learn how to speak and write Chinese. Our teacher was pretty terrible and I actually wondered if anyone learned much with her. With a shiny round face, lots of pale foundation and transition lenses she was a bit of a viper too doling out criticism in the way that only a tiger mum could.

I remember when I sat down and realised that there was no alphabet and that I had to learn every single character that I would never master mandarin or Cantonese. "You! You can't learn a thing!" she said to me. I agreed with her and I think I spent the whole 2 hours every Saturday day dreaming. Probably about food...

So tell me Dear Reader, did you ever do an outside school or class to learn another language? Can you speak any other languages? Have you ever tried these biang biang noodles? Do you have a favourite noodle type?

Biang Biang Noodles

Did you make this recipe? Share your creations by tagging @notquitenigella on Instagram with the hashtag #notquitenigella

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An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 3 hours resting time

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Makes 2 bowls, serves 2 people

  • 375g/13ozs. all purpose flour
  • 200ml/7flozs. water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Oil for greasing

Chilli oil

  • 200ml/7flozs. peanut oil
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons chilli flakes
  • 1.5 tablespoon vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
  • 3 sticks green shallots, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 3 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
  • 100g/3.5ozs. pork mince (optional)
  • 1/2 cup noodle cooking water

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Step 1 - Mix the flour, water and salt together until shaggy in texture. Knead until smooth and elastic (5 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook). Shape into a round and cut into 8 even pieces. Shape them into a small cucumber shape and coat in oil. Cover and rest at room temperature for 3 hours (to allow the dough to relax).

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Step 2 - Put on a large pot of water on to boil.

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Step 3 - Make the sauce-just add all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat for through until pork is cooked. If you're not using pork just heat for a minute. If you are using pork cook it until the pork is cooked through. Keep the lid on to keep it warm.

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Step 4 - Roll out all the pieces of dough on a lightly greased surface using a small greased rolling pin. You want each piece to be around 2.5-3 inches wide and a bit longer than the rolling pin. Firmly press the rolling pin against the centre vertically leaving a depression (see above).

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Step 5 - Oil your hands lightly and then gently pull it apart using the depression as a opening. It will stretch open with little prompting. Stretch it out so that it is thin, like a ribbon and a very, very long belt. Place directly into the water and cook for 1 minute or until it rises to the surface. Place in a bowl (this is enough for two bowls) and then when all the noodles are cooked, pour the hot chilli oil over it.

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Published on 2019-01-29 by Lorraine Elliott.

Biang Biang Noodle recipe authentic (2024)

FAQs

What is biang biang noodles made of? ›

Biang Biang noodles refer to wheat flour noodles that are hand-pulled to a long, thick and broad shape (can be as wide as a belt). They have a chewy texture and are often served with a pungent, spicy dressing.

How do you stretch biang biang noodles? ›

Grab the ends of the rectangle with your thumbs and forefingers and pull the dough gently, stretching until about shoulder length. Now the fun part. While still slightly pulling, bounce the noodle flat against the counter in an up and down motion until the dough is about 4 feet (1.25 m) long.

What is the English of Biang Biang? ›

Noun. A type of thick noodle from China's Shaanxi province, said to be named for the sound a noodle makes when slapped against the work surface while being made, and famed for the unusually complex Chinese character used in its name (𰻞/𰻝 (biáng)).

Is biang a real Chinese character? ›

There are many variations of the character for biáng, but the most widely accepted version is made up of 58 strokes in its traditional form (42 in simplified Chinese). It is one of the most complex Chinese characters in modern usage, although it is not found in modern dictionaries or even in the Kangxi dictionary.

What is the hardest Chinese character? ›

Biáng – a type of noodle (42 strokes)

Biáng has attained a certain fame as the most complex Chinese character of them all. However, again there are a few issues surrounding it. The character has a very, very specific meaning: it is used in the name of a traditional Shaanxi noodle dish.

Why is it called Biang Biang? ›

The "biang" character is onomatopoeic, meant to mimic the sound of dough hitting a counter.

What does biang biang noodle means? ›

Biang Biang Mian translates basically to “bang bang noodles” and has a wonderfully complex Chinese character representing its name that is probably one of the more involved characters you'll still see commonly used in China today. The name comes from the sound the noodles make (bang! bang!)

What are the thickest Chinese noodles? ›

Lo mein. Thick and dense, lo mein noodles hold their own against heavy sauces and rigorous cooking methods. A Chinese-American menu staple also called lo mein is a flavorful stir-fry dish featuring these noodles, vegetables, and your choice of protein.

How to make noodles bouncy? ›

In a popular hack that's been espoused by many a Japanese cooking blog, regular semolina pasta is boiled with baking soda to make an excellent substitute for the bouncy, chewy noodles known as chuukamen.

What does biang mean in Chinese? ›

Even though the word “biang” by itself has no meaning or context, nowadays it's typically used in referring to biang biang 面 (biang biang mian), a particular type of noodles traditionally served in the Shaanxi province, located in the north- western part of China.

What is the history of biang biang noodles? ›

There are two stories to the origin of biang biang noodles, noodles that are so wide that they are also called 'belt noodles'. One is that the name came from the sound of the noodles being flapped and stretched. The other story is that the word was invented specially by an Emperor or a premier for the noodles.

What is the hardest character in simplified Chinese? ›

The character biáng requires 62 total strokes to write and contains a 馬 horse, 月 moon,刂 knife and 心 heart plus other radicals. Biáng doesn't exist in Modern Standard Mandarin which only serves to increase the mystery and intrigue surrounding the character.

What is the Chinese word with 172 strokes? ›

This should be the Chinese character with the most strokes, and the pronunciation is "huáng". There are 172 strokes in total. This character is relatively rare, and few people use it, because it is an ancient character and cannot be typed on a computer.

What is the hardest Chinese word to pronounce? ›

Ok, let's get started!
  • 四十 (sì shí) "forty" ...
  • 姜 (jiāng) "ginger" ...
  • 日 (rì) "day" ...
  • 汉语 (hàn yǔ) "Chinese language" ...
  • 知道 (zhī dao) "know" ...
  • 脚 (jiǎo) "foot” And also it can be used for ”feet”. ...
  • 轮 (lún) "wheel" And it makes up the word 轮胎 (lún tāi) “tire”. ...
  • 辞职 (cí zhí) "resign"

What does Biang Biang noodle means? ›

Biang Biang Mian translates basically to “bang bang noodles” and has a wonderfully complex Chinese character representing its name that is probably one of the more involved characters you'll still see commonly used in China today. The name comes from the sound the noodles make (bang! bang!)

What are the thick Chinese noodles called? ›

"thick noodles") are thick Chinese noodles made from wheat flour and water. Two types of Chinese noodles are called cumian. One is Shanghai style, thick in diameter, used in Shanghai fried noodles. The other type is Hong Kong style, flat and wide, sometimes yellow-alkaline.

What are Chinese crispy noodles made of? ›

They're basically deep-fried egg noodles (or fried wonton wrappers or egg roll wrappers).

What are the really skinny Chinese noodles? ›

The term vermicelli encompasses a broad category of thin Asian noodles. The noodle must have a diameter of less than 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) to be classified as vermicelli. The most popular type of Asian vermicelli noodle is rice vermicelli.

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