Hot Oil Noodle, also known as biang mian or 油泼面 is one of the most popular noodle dishes coming from the Shaanxi province. It is usually consumed during Winter due to its spicy nature. Biang mian has also been termed the poor man’s meal because of how little ingredients that goes into this dish. [1]
Picture: Biang Noodles [2]
While little is known about the origin of biang mian, there are a few popular myths surrounding its origin and the origin of the word biang itself. Also, biang is one of the few Chinese characters not included in the Chinese dictionary.
The first myth goes that there was premier named Li Si during the Qin dynasty introduced the character. [3] However, this myth has been largely debunked as the character is not found in the Kangxi Dictionary (1716) that was created during the time of Li Si. Hence, it is highly possible that the character was created after the time of Li Si instead. Besides, there are no concrete evidence supporting the existence of Li Si or the story.
Regarding the second myth, legend has it that the character ‘biang’ was invented by an unknown Xiùcái (scholar that passes the imperial examination during Ming/Qing dynasty) in a noodle shop. [1] The exact time period is unknown, but I would guess it happened during the Ming/Qing dynasty.The story goes that a poor young Xiùcái was travelling to Xianyang , 咸阳 (a city in Shaanxi) when he passed by a noodle shop. He was drawn to the ‘biang’ sounds made by the noodles. Hence, he went into the shop and asked what noodles the chef was making.
‘Biang Biang mian‘replied the chef.
‘Biang biang mian? How do you write biang?’
The chef could not answer the scholar as he has never thought about it since ‘biang’ was merely used to describe the sound ‘biang’ when making the noodles. In return, the scholar offered to write a character for the word ‘biang’ in exchange for a free meal. Here, the 58 strokes character was created, and the complicated and complex structure of the word wowed everyone in the restaurant. This myth is more widely accepted with the biang sound describing the sound when the noodles smashing against the board (especially when smashing against stainless steel board).
Picture: Making noodles against the board [4]
Going back to the recipe, the main component in the dish is noodles, or 面 (mian). Mian does not only refer to noodles but it can also mean face, like 面相. Initially known as bing, the distinction between flatbread and noodles were drawn during the Tang dynasty, with mian referring to noodles. [5] Today, noodles have become a popular staple food in the Chinese food culture alongside rice. One can find as many variations of noodle recipes reflecting each region’s characteristics.The main ingredient for making 面 (mian) is wheat flour. In Ni Zan’s Cloud Forest’s recipes to cook noodles, the author included steps on making noodles as well. [6]
Picture: Ni Zan, Cooking Noodles [6]
The recipe calls for the use of wheat flour which is the main component in making the noodles. To make wheat flour, wheat is grinded in the mills to produce wheat flours. [7] This method of making flour arose during Han dynasty during the culinary revolution. And since then, it has resulted in a widespread use of wheat flour into making/cooking doughy foods since this method of making food has drastically improved the taste of food.
The significance of noodles can be seen its popularity in both northern and southern China. [7] Prior to that, North and South had different diets due to differences in practices and environment. Since North were more nomadic, they preferred more meat and dairy in their diet. They preferred millets as it could withstand the drier and colder temperatures in the North. On the other hand, the South practiced agriculture, thus they preferred rice, fish and vegetables. The environment in the South made it suitable for growing rice as well.
However, the creation of noodles has overcame the differences of the North and South and was quickly met with acceptance from both. Noodles instantly became one of the staples alongside grains because its main composition (wheat) is a cereal food which was the primary component of a Chinese diet. [8] Furthermore, since noodle was made from wheat flour, it overcame the climate issue as well.
Other than that, its significance can be seen in the increasing usage of chopsticks in non-grain foods. [7] Chopsticks were initially used for transporting grain foods, but the advent and popularity of noodles has resulted in chopsticks becoming more widely used because its tweezer like property helped picked up noodles easier. Besides, it has reshaped the culinary practices of the Chinese as they now look for new texture and taste. Textures like slippery, smooth are used to describe food. In the Qimin Yaoshu, we see different varieties of noodles created to suit the different texture, shape and taste. [5]
In present day, the methods for making noodles has evolved. Previously, the main difference between Chinese noodles and Western pasta was that Chinese noodles were usually prepared fresh while western pasta was dried. [9] However, industrial advancement has resulted in the creation of instant noodles and people turn to these instant noodles for convenience rather than making it fresh. [10 ]Modern recipes have started included the use of other flours like plain flour, bread flour and rice flour as a substitute to wheat flour but these different flours create noodles of different texture and consistency.
However, as seen from the variety of recipes related to noodles available in the market, it is evident that noodles are still a significant component in a Chinese’s diet and a worthy rival to rice/grains.
Bibliography
[1] Ling. 2018. The Story of Biáng. July 22. Accessed October 8, 2019. https://bilingoal.com/2018/07/22/the-story-of-biang/.
[2] Biang Noodle, https://modernistcuisine.com/2018/04/gluten-how-does-it-work/
[3] Wikipedia. Biang Biang Noodles. Accessed October 8, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biangbiang_noodles
[4] Making noodles on a board, https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/04/mei-mei-biang-biang-hand-pulled-noodles-review-boston-massachussetts.html
[5] Serventi, Silvano., and Françoise Sabban. “9. China: Pasta’s Other Homeland.” Trans. Shugaar, Anthony. Pasta: The Story of a Universal Food. Columbia University Press, 2002. 271-311
[6] Ni Zan, “Cloud Forest Hall Collection of Rules for Drinking and Eating.” Hawai’i Reader in Traditional Chinese Culture. Eds. Mair, Victor H., Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt and Paul Rakita Goldin. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2005. 444-55.
[7] Wang, Q. Edward. “Dish, Rice or Noodle? The Changing Use of Chopsticks.” Chopsticks: A Cultural and Culinary History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015. 41-66.
[8] Na Zhang, Guansheng Ma. 2016. “Noodles, traditionally and today.” Journal of Ethnic Foods 209-212.
[9] Guoquan Hou, Mark Kruk. December, 1998. “Asian Noodle Technology.” 1-10.
[10] Man Li, Ke-Xue Zhu, Xiao-Na Guo, Kristof Brijs, and Hui-Ming Zhou. 2014. “Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety.” Natural Additives in Wheat-Based Pasta and Noodle Products: Opportunities for Enhanced Nutritional and Functional Properties 347-357.