A mysterious Chinese character that can’t be typed by any keyboard
一个连输入法都打不出的神秘汉字，
has made Londoners queue for an hour
却让伦敦食客甘愿排队一小时，
sold out Tokyo convenience stores
在东京便利店一售而空，
and turns foreigners into carb lovers
更是让外国人也变身“碳水脑袋”，
It’s not a cultural enigma, but a bowl of noodles from Shaanxi, China.Biangbiang Noodles!
——它不是某种文化密码，而是一碗来自中国陕西的面条：biangbiang面！
How is this two-character noodle dish from Xi’an captivating the world?
一碗面，两个字，这场源自西安的美食风暴，正如何让世界为之着迷？
The BBC once published an article titled Xi’an Cuisine: A Chinese Pasta Whose Name Can’t Be Written, detailing how masters in Xi’an make “biangbiang noodles”, introducing the dish to more Britons. The report explains the name originates from the slapping sound of dough on the chopping board. The character “biang” incorporates elements like silk, horse, and long, reflecting Xi’an’s historical role as the Silk Road’s starting point, respect for horses as ancient transportation and the noodles’lengthy shape.
英国广播公司（BBC）曾刊文《西安美食：一种名字写不出来的中式面食》，详细报道西安师傅做“biangbiang面”的全过程，让这款面条被更多英国民众知晓。报道解读说，面的名字是受面团不断拍击案板时发出的声音启发而来。“biang”字包含“丝”“马”“长”字等元素，体现出西安作为古代丝绸之路起点的历史地位、人们对当时主要交通工具马的敬意以及面条在长度上的特点。（BBC，2021）
the West
United Kingdom
“The meat is tender and falls off the bone. You can really taste the chili oil. It’s salty, sour, wow. These biangbiang noodles are amazing.”
“这肉很嫩，一咬就脱骨。你能真正品尝到辣椒油的味道。咸咸的，酸酸的，哇。这碗biangbiang面太棒了。”
A food blogger took her boyfriend Tony to London’s Ao Xi’an Noodle House, where queues stretch for an hour. After his first bite, Tony didn’t look up again. Spellbound by the aroma, he was fully immersed in Xi’an’s culinary allure. The restaurant innovates by blending local tastes, creating a popular ox rib oil-splashed wide noodles. The fragrance of chili oil meets the rich aroma of tender ox ribs, delivering a double punch to the senses.
一位美食博主带男友Tony去探店伦敦的“熬·西安面馆”，这是一家火爆到需要排队一小时才能享受美味的地方。Tony在吃面时说了这段话之后便再没抬过头——仿佛被那碗中的香气摄去了魂魄，彻底沉溺在西安风味的极致诱惑里。熬·西安面馆结合当地饮食习惯，对biangbiang面进行创新，推出一款受人欢迎的牛肋排油泼宽面，热油泼过的辣子香气混合大块牛肋排散发的浓郁肉香直冲鼻腔，给人视觉与嗅觉上的双重暴击。
Fuchsia Dunlop, a British best-selling food writer, also dedicated an article on her personal website to biangbiang noodles.
英国美食畅销书作家扶霞·邓洛普也曾在自己的个人网站里写文专门介绍biangbiang面。
FUCHSIA DUNLOP，2015）
United States
Every noon, crowds line up outside Xi’an Famous Foods in downtown Manhattan. Most Americans in line may never have heard of Xi’an, but they’re hooked by the restaurant’s authentic flavors. Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain was a regular, even featuring the spot on his show and convincing ABC to air prime-time ads for it.
每天中午，曼哈顿市中心的“西安名吃”总店门前都排着长队。绝大多数排队的美国人或许从来没有听说过西安这座城市，但他们却被这间餐厅提供的特色西安美食深深折服。著名美食节目主持人、知名主厨安东尼·波登（Anthony Bourdain）是那里的常客，波登甚至还在曾在节目中推荐过西安名吃，并说服ABC在晚间黄金时段投放了一则西安名吃的广告。
Belgium
In Brussels, the capital of Belgium, the Shaanxi noodle restaurant La Taverne de Zhao is praised by Chinese expats as an oasis in the desert of Chinese cuisine and a savior for Chinese taste buds.
比利时首都布鲁塞尔的陕西面馆 La Taverne de Zhao，里面美味的西安面食被国人称为“中餐荒漠的绿洲”、“中国胃的救星”。
Spain & Denmark
Madrid
Guard Chinese flavors.
首都马德里，守护中国味道
Copenhagen
Danes call it a brand-new experience.
首都哥本哈根，丹麦人表示这是全新的体验
Asia
Japan
In 2018, Xi’an Noodle House Qintangji helmed by head chef Feng Shu (a native of Xi’an’s Lantian County) opened in Tokyo as the city’s first restaurant specializing in Shaanxi noodles like biangbiang. It quickly won acclaim from locals and Chinese expats, featured in major Japanese TV and newspaper reports. The owner notes that biangbiang noodles’ cultural depth and unique craftsmanship align with Japan’s pursuit of culinary excellence.
2018年，由西安蓝田人冯树担任料理长的“西安面庄秦唐记”在东京开业，这是东京第一家以“biangbiang面”等陕西面食为主打产品的面馆，短时间内迅速收获了当地居民和华人的好评，还先后被日本一大批电视、报纸等当地媒体报道。面馆的社长认为biangbiang面有丰富的文化内涵，独特的制作方法，与日本民众的美食追求不谋而合。
KALDI, a leading Japanese import chain, launched limited-edition followed by a spicy version with oyster sauce and Sichuan pepper oil, triggering social media trends. In late 2021, Japan’s Sanseido Kokugo Jiten (National Language Dictionary) added biangbiang noodles, noting it’s a local dish from Shaanxi, China.
日本知名的进口食品杂货连锁店KALDI也推出限定商品“biangbiang面”，随后又推出了搭配蚝油和花椒油特制调味包的麻辣口味，成为当地网络社交平台上的热门话题。2021年底，日本的三省堂《国语辞典》在全面改订版里新增了“biangbiang面”词条，并注明这是来自“中国陕西的地方料理”。
Beyond food, the “biang” character has become a cultural icon in Japan printed on clothes, hats and mugs. Brands are capitalizing on its hype dubbed “the world’s most complicated Chinese character”, which is gone viral on social media, blending culinary appeal with linguistic curiosity.
不仅如此，“biang”字在日本还拥有了自己的周边，它被印在了衣服上、帽子上、杯子上。各大企业纷纷投入biangbiang面的商业化，事实上，它不仅因为美味而受到关注，更因为复杂的汉字笔画而成为话题。“世界第一难的汉字”的噱头，让它在社交媒体上走红。
Dubai
As a Silk Road hub, Dubai has become a hotspot for Chinese culinary culture. Hadi, a Lebanese who lived in Xi’an for three years, opened Sanwan Dubai Chinese Restaurant, where biangbiang noodles are a highlight. Beyond serving noodles, Hadi teaches Chinese pastry-making on social media, amassing over 10,000 followers. Meanwhile, Shaanxi native Tian Hengzhao runs Laoshanwei, a restaurant bringing hometown flavors to expats.
迪拜作为丝绸贸易沿线上的枢纽城市，也成为中国美食广泛传播与扎根的重要据点。长居迪拜的黎巴嫩人哈迪，曾在西安生活工作3年，在迪拜创立了主打西安面食的中餐厅“三碗迪拜中餐厅”，biangbiang面便是其中的招牌美食。哈迪不仅在餐厅为食客烹饪西安好面，还在社交媒体上教做中国面点，粉丝超过一万人。更有陕西人田恒昭在迪拜开陕西特色餐厅“老陕味”，让华人能在异国感受乡情。
Malaysia
In Puchong, Selangor, Mr. Yang, who moved from Xi’an, opened a restaurant selling authentic Xi’an dishes: biangbiang noodles, roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers), liangpi (cold noodles), etc. “Malaysians generally can’t handle too much oil or spiciness. Their tastes are lighter, so we have to adjust the recipes.” Mr. Yang said when discussing taste differences between Chinese and Malaysian diners (The Paper, 2022)
雪兰莪州蒲种市镇，杨先生从西安来到这里开了一家餐厅，售卖正宗西安美食：biangbiang面、肉夹馍、凉皮等等，提及中马两国食客口味差异时，杨先生表示：“马来西亚人普遍吃不得太油、太辣，口味偏清淡，所以还得改良一下。”（澎湃新闻，2022）
Africa and Oceania
South Africa
“There aren’t many Shaanxi natives in South Africa, so getting a bowl of authentic noodles is a rare treat. We make a special trip to the Shaanxi noodle restaurant every week.”
New Zealand
In Auckland, the largest city, biangbiang noodles are served at Xi’an noodle restaurant chains, with several branches also opened in Australia.
第一大城市奥克兰西安面馆连锁店的biangbiang面，澳洲也开有几家分店。
The character “biang”
这个笔画繁复如画的“biang”字，
with its intricate strokes and rich Silk Road heritage
以其独一无二的视觉冲击力和背后厚重的丝路故事，
has become a powerful cultural ambassador
化身最吸睛的“文化名片”，
Riding on the aroma of chewy noodles and fiery chili oil
正带着它劲道宽厚的面条和油泼辣子的浓香，
innovating by blending with local dining habits
融合当地饮食习惯不断创新，
starting from Xi’an noodles
以西安之“面”为起点，
it spans mountains and seas to reach every corner of the globe
跨越山海蔓延至全球各“面”，
unfolding a fragrant scroll of Shaanxi’s noodle charm on the world map
让三秦大地的面食魅力在世界版图上展开鲜香长卷。
By the way,biangbiang noodles aren’t just a global food trend. They’re lifting their golden partners too. Roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers) and liangpi (cold noodles) now have legions of overseas fans.If Bingfeng soda were substituted for Coca-Cola, perhaps the Sanqin Set Meal could become world-famous.
顺带一提，“biangbiang”面不仅自己成了国际餐饮界的“顶流”，更让它的“黄金搭档”——肉夹馍与凉皮，火速收割了一大批海外“洋粉丝”，如果把可口可乐换成冰峰汽水，说不定三秦套餐就能名扬世界了。
小tips：
Oil-splashed noodles are purely vegetarian, with bean sprouts and carrots as base vegetables.
油泼面为纯素面，加豆芽和胡萝卜作为底菜
Biangbiang noodles are mixed with minced pork and tomato sauce to cut through greasiness.
biangbiang面里加入臊子肉和西红柿卤解腻
Both noodles share the same dough and oil-splashing process, differing only in being meat-based or vegetarian.
两者的面条相同，且都经过油泼这一道工序，只是一荤一素的区别。