Lamian is made by twisting, stretching and folding the dough into strands, using the weight of the dough.[1] The length and thickness of the strands depends on the number of times the dough is folded.[1] This unique method of making noodles originated in China.[1] The Songshi Yangsheng Bu (simplified Chinese: 宋氏养生部; traditional Chinese: 宋氏養生部), which was written by Song Xu and dates back to 1504, has the earliest description of the method to make lamian.[1]