The name comes from the shoulder pole (
扁担 biǎndan) that 19th-century Zigong vendors used to carry the noodles and sauce from street to street —
担 here means 'to carry on a shoulder pole'. The authentic Sichuan version is dry-tossed with Sichuan pepper, chili oil, preserved vegetable (
芽菜), and minced pork, not soup-based.
