China's biang biang noodles are taking the world by storm-yet the dish's name doesn't (official) exist. 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 twisted together with the blowing sound the noise
ended up inspiring this dish's curious name: biang biang noodles. The onomatopoeic (拟声的) "biang" character (mean) to imitate the sound of flour mixed with water hitting a counter. It is also (complex) to write than any character in the Chinese language.
In the past centuries, Shaanxi's biang biang noodles were no more than humble local dish. Compared to other noodle (variety) from north-west China, biang biang were less known outside of Xi'an, they were a comforting and beloved food among locals, for whom the back story and written character were common knowledge. In recent years, biang biang noodles and its associated custom have become more widely known across China, (drive) in part by social media interest in the made-up biang character. Now, the dish is passing through land and sea from its humble beginnings the hearts and mouths of diners the world over—a breakthrough that many people haven't expected (be) delightful.
