{"id":109772,"title":"Authentic Biang Biang Noodles","modified":"2025-10-29T15:42:32+01:00","plain":"Biang Biang noodles, from Shaanxi province in central China, are famous for their impressive size: wide and long like belts, hence the nickname \"belt noodles\".\n\n\n\nDelicious liang pi noodles from the same region\n\n\n\nBiang Biang noodles are a point of pride in Shaanxi, which is also home to the Terracotta Warriors and the birthplace of China\u2019s first emperor.\n\n\n\nCumin Biang Biang noodles from Xi\u2019an Famous Foods\n\n\n\nI first discovered this delicious dish in Queens, New York, at Xi\u2019an Famous Foods. Their cumin version is simply DIVINE. In France, it\u2019s just starting to catch on; you can find a semi-authentic version at the Taverne de Zhao in Paris that\u2019s not bad at all.\n\n\n\nA noodle dish whose name is used to discipline students\n\n\n\nFunny enough, the character \"biang\" used in its name is notorious for being one of the most complex in the Chinese language. Although a version with up to 68 strokes exists, the 58-stroke form is the most widely recognized.\n\n\n\nThe character\u2019s complexity is such that it is even used as a form of punishment in some schools in Sichuan province, where late students are sometimes made to write it out several times.\n\n\n\nThe character in question\n\n\n\nHowever, the word \"biang\" has no clearly defined meaning in standard Mandarin. The noodles\u2019 name is thought to be onomatopoeic\u2014the sound the dough makes when it\u2019s vigorously slapped against the work surface during preparation.\n\n\n\nThe main ingredients of Biang Biang noodles\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChili flakes: Add a lively, spicy kick to the dish. In the chili oil topping, they lend distinct character and a heat that wakes up the palate, adding depth and complexity. You can use Korean gochugaru.\n\n\n\nSichuan pepper: This unique pepper adds an aromatic, slightly citrusy note with a pleasantly numbing tingle on the tongue\u2014the famous m\u00e1l\u00e0. It creates an intriguing taste experience that balances the intensity of the chili flakes.\n\n\n\nBlack rice vinegar: Brings subtle acidity and depth of flavor. Unlike sharper vinegars, black rice vinegar has an underlying sweetness that complements the other spicy and savory ingredients while adding a rich color to the dish.\n\n\n\nLight soy sauce: Acts as the savory base for the chili oil topping. Light soy sauce is less intense and saltier than dark soy sauce, allowing the other ingredients to shine without overpowering them.\n\n\n\nWheat flour: Choose flour with a protein content around 11%. To find it, just check the nutrition label. Italian pizza flours are generally great for this.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic Biang Biang Noodles\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tWok\t\n\t\n\t\t200 g pizza flour (or flour with a protein content as close to 11% as possible)0.5 teaspoon salt100 ml water3 tablespoons neutral oilChili Oil Topping7 cm leek (very thinly sliced)2 large garlic cloves (minced)4 teaspoons chili flakes0.5 teaspoon Sichuan pepper (ground)4 tablespoons light soy sauce1 tablespoon black rice vinegar0.25 teaspoon salt5 tablespoons neutral vegetable oilGarnish1 bok choy (quartered, optional)finely sliced scallions, for garnish\t\n\t\n\t\tIn a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Slowly pour in the water, mixing with your hands as you go. Aim for the dry spots as you add the water.Knead the dough for five minutes.You'll probably notice one side is rougher and uneven. Pinch and gather that side. Slide the dough across the work surface so friction smooths out the pinches. Give it about twelve presses, working in a few different directions.Place the dough in a bowl and coat it with about 3 tablespoons of oil. Be generous. Let it rest, covered, for 5 to 10 hours.After resting, bring a pot of water to a boil. As each noodle is formed, drop it straight into the pot.Roll the dough into an even, flat oval\u2014'pizza' style. You'll need a fairly large work surface.Cut the dough into slices about 6 cm wide; optionally cut each slice in half.Lightly flatten a slice with a rolling pin if needed. Press a groove down the center with a chopstick.Hold the noodle in your palm, pressing lightly with your thumb. Smack the noodle against your work surface about ten times to stretch it. Don't press too hard with your thumb, or the noodle may tear.At the center of the noodle, push through the groove you made with the chopstick and stretch the noodle even longer. Break one end to separate it.Boil each noodle for about 1 minute, until it floats. Shape the remaining noodles while each one cooks.Chili oil toppingBlanch the bok choy with the noodles for 45 seconds.Transfer the noodles to a bowl; add the vegetables and the dry toppings.Pour the soy sauce and vinegar over the noodles.Heat the oil to about 215\u00b0C, then pour it over the noodles, aiming for the chili flakes and garlic.\t\n\t\n\t\tStart the dough in the morning or late morning so it's ready by evening.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tPlat principalChinoiseBiang biang noodles, La taverne de Zhao, Nouilles \u00e0 la main, Nouilles biang biang\t\n\n\n\n\n\nRecipe source\n\n\n\nTechnically, the original method is quite complex and time-consuming, making it impractical at home. During my research, I found an excellent article by Chinese Cooking Demystified that I drew on for this post. Their technique lets the dough rest for a long stretch instead of alternating multiple short rests with kneading\u2014it shifts the recipe from active to mostly hands-off.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109772"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109772\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110052,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109772\/revisions\/110052"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}