Biáng Biáng Noodles
Wide, thick hand-pulled wheat noodles from Xi'an in Shaanxi Province, named for the slapping sound the dough makes against the board while being stretched. The character 'biáng' is genuinely one of the most complex in common informal use, with roughly 56-58 strokes depending on the variant, and it isn't encoded in standard fonts or input systems — restaurants typically print it as an image or just write the name in pinyin. Real biáng biáng noodles are hand-pulled and slapped to build width and elasticity, then dressed simply: hot oil poured over fresh chile flakes and garlic to make an audible sizzle, plus vinegar — not a heavily sauced dish.
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Soy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 500g high-gluten wheat flour
- 280ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- Neutral oil
- 3 tbsp dried chile flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Bok choy or bean sprouts
Steps
- Make a stiff dough from the flour, water, and salt. Rest 30-60 minutes.
- Divide into strips, coat in oil, and rest again.
- Stretch and slap each strip against the board, pulling into wide, thick ribbons.
- Boil the noodles until just cooked, along with the bok choy.
- Top with chile flakes, garlic, and scallion, and pour hot oil over to bloom the spices. Finish with vinegar and soy sauce.