[Original Case Pack: 20 units] Inaniwa udon noodles from Akita Prefecture have been enjoyed in Japan for 400 years and are esteemed as one of the three most appreciated varieties of udon noodles. The medium thin, flat, pulled noodles are extremely smooth and substantially chewy. These features come from a unique production process. Ogawa’s experienced noodle-making craftspeople knead dough thoroughly to aerate it, then hand-pull and shape it into noodles. The entire process takes four days, ensuring that air is effectively trapped in the dough which gives the noodles their defining characteristic—being smooth and chewy at the same time. Additionally, because of the aeration, Inaniwa udon can be cooked in a short length of time—just 3 minutes in boiling water! Also important is that Ogawa only uses wheat flour grown in Japan, local spring water, and sea salt with no additives. How to Use Handmade Inaniwa Udon Noodles “Ogawa": You can enjoy Ogawa’s Inaniwa Udon hot or cold. If you choose cold, cook it in boiling water for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the noodles’ milky white color turns half-translucent, drain the noodles, then transfer them to ice water, and wash well. Drain the noodles once again and serve with a dipping sauce and your choice of condiments and garnish, such as finely chopped scallions, shredded nori seaweed, sesame, grated ginger, or boiled okra. If you prefer hot soup noodles, just drain the cooked noodles, wash briefly and put them into hot soup. If you’d like to enjoy a really chewy texture, drain the cooked noodles, wash in ice water, drain again, warm them up in hot water briefly, and then drain again before serving in hot soup.