Xi'an famous foods

Biangbiang noodles are thick, fat and long. Each belt-like strand is three-fingers wide, spiraling down into a big bowl. [Photo by Fan Zhen/chinadaily.com.cn]

With thousands of years of history growing wheat, Xi'an is home to many kinds of flour-based food. Even the simple noodle has different shapes and tastes.

One is called biangbiang mian. This traditional dish is considered one of the 10 "strange wonders" in Shaanxi province, a look at its name in Chinese characters tells why.

Most Chinese would not even know how to write the 57-stroke character for "biang" which has so many turns it looks like a hieroglyphic on paper.

"Biang" is the onomatopoeic name the noodles are given, referring to the sound the chef makes when he pulls the dough into noodles and bangs them against the table.

Biangbiang noodles are thick, fat and long. Each belt-like strand is three-fingers wide, spiraling down into a big bowl.

It is served dry, with toppings of chili and pork belly - wu hua rou or five-flowered meat that has alternating layers of fat and lean meat.

Related: Biangbiang Shaanxi street food