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 are 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.

What is the secret ingredient in Chinese noodles? ›

Sometimes additives like fat, alkalis, or other ingredients are incorporated into the dough to improve texture or to facilitate extensibility. The most common and traditional additive is a mysterious powder called penghui, which is derived from a desert plant called penghuicao (halogeton).

What does biang biang mean in Chinese? ›

According to a China Daily article, the word "biang" is an onomatopoeia that actually refers to the sound made by the chef when he creates the noodles by pulling the dough and slapping it on the table.

What is the difference between Liang Pi and Biang Biang? ›

With Biang Biang, after the noodles are rolled, pulled and hand ripped they are tossed into boiling water to cook. Whereas with Liang Pi, the process involves 'washing' the dough in water then steaming the left over starch so it resembles a translucent thin pancake which afterwards is cut up into strips of noodles.

How do you stretch Biang Biang noodles? ›

Step 3 - Hand-Pull Fresh Biang Biang Noodles

Working with one piece at a time, use the dough scraper to make a vertical indent in the center of the dough piece. Grab the ends of the rectangle with your thumbs and forefingers. With even pressure, gently stretch the dough into a thin ribbon about shoulder-width long.

Are biang biang noodles chewy? ›

Biang Biang noodles are a Northwestern Chinese specialty, hailing from Shaanxi Province. They are generally wide, thick, and chewy, giving them a slightly uneven texture that clings to sauce really well.

How do Chinese food restaurants get their chicken so tender? ›

There are actually a few different ways to tenderise chicken the Chinese restaurant way: marinating in a cornstarch/cornflour sludge then deep frying or blanching in water before proceeding to cook in the stir fry.

What does baking soda do in Chinese food? ›

It's all about tenderization. Treating small pieces of meat with a baking soda solution before cooking is a technique seen quite often in Chinese cooking, especially in stir-fries. If your favorite Chinese restaurant always serves incredibly supple and tender beef in their dishes, baking soda is likely involved.

What gives Chinese food its distinctive taste? ›

All these dishes have one thing in common, they all have Umami flavour thanks to the use of ingredients like mushrooms, oyster sauce and soy sauce, which are one of the most basic ingredients in Chinese dishes.

What does Biang Biang taste like? ›

What does biang biang noodle taste like? Biang biang noodle is topped with a garlic chili oil that's super fragrant, garlicky, and balanced between spicy and numbing. The noodles are also seasoned with a black vinegar sauce base, which gives the noodles a savory and tangy flavor.

What Chinese character has 56 strokes? ›

With between 56 and 62 different strokes, biang is an atypical character, comically considered by the Internet as the most “Chinese” out of over 50,000 Chinese characters due to its combination of many pre-existing traditional characters.

What kind of noodles are in Biang Biang? ›

Biang biang noodle is a type of Chinese hand pulled noodles that is flat and wide. Sometimes it's also known as belt noodles.

Who is the hardest Chinese character to understand? ›

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.

Where did biang biang noodle originate? ›

Here in Xi'an, the capital of China's Shaanxi province and one of the country's oldest cities, the craft of noodle-pulling is so intertwined with that slapping sound that the distinctive noise ended up inspiring this dish's curious name: biang biang noodles.

What are thick Chinese noodles made of? ›

"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? ›

Indeed, many readers have asked us to detail how to make them. They're basically deep-fried egg noodles (or fried wonton wrappers or egg roll wrappers). Golden brown and crunchy, they're often served in little wooden bowls as a restaurant appetizer with duck sauce and Chinese hot mustard on the side.

What are the fat noodles in Chinese food called? ›

The big Chinese noodles are commonly called "dandan noodles" or "dan dan noodles" (担担面 dàndàn miàn) in Chinese cuisine. These are a type of spicy noodle dish that originated in Sichuan province and is often served with a sauce made with chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, minced pork, and scallions.

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