Biang Biang Noodles are the rock stars of Xi'an's noodle scene. Named after the sound the noodles make when slapped against the counter during pulling, these belt-wide ribbons of dough are boiled until chewy, then crowned with a fiery mix of chili flakes, minced garlic, soy sauce, and black vinegar. The final touch is a dramatic pour of nearly smoking-hot oil that sizzles and crackles over the chili — releasing an aroma that stops passersby in their tracks. The Chinese character for 'biang' has 58 strokes, making it the most complex character in the language, created exclusively for this noodle.
The dish traces back to the Qin State over 2,200 years ago. A soldier was so exhausted from war that he threw dough into boiling water and covered it with leftover chili oil — creating the first Biang Biang noodles. The complex character was supposedly invented by a calligrapher to capture the noodles' dramatic slapping sound.