The Chinese noodle dish named for the exceptionally complex biang character is biangbiang noodles.
Biangbiang noodles come from Shaanxi cuisine, especially the Xi’an area. They are thick, broad, hand-pulled noodles often described as belt-like. The name “biang” is commonly linked to the sound made when stretched dough is slapped against a work surface, although the word’s history is not completely settled.
The written character is famous for its complexity. The traditional form is usually described as having 58 strokes, while the simplified form has 42. It was not historically included in standard dictionaries, and several character variants exist. Stories claiming that Qin-era official Li Si invented it are popular legends, but they have not been verified.
Biangbiang noodles are sometimes confused with lamian, the general term for hand-pulled noodles, or dandan noodles, a spicy Sichuan dish. Their distinctive identity comes from the Shaanxi style, broad shape, and unusual name.