A speciality of Akita Prefecture, these soft wheat noodles are distinguished from traditional udon by their flattened shape, strongly reminiscent of tagliatelle in its wide version (futomen) and linguine in this version. It usually takes 4 days to make, including the hand-pulling (in Japanese ‘tenobe‘), a crucial step that not only allows these noodles to be loaded with small air bubbles that will then reduce the cooking time to only 3 minutes, but also gives them all their elasticity. The vegan soup that accompanies these Udons was a favourite at the 2022 Paris International Food Fair (SIAL).
The package was also selected by the Japan Package Design Award in 2023 for its design illustrating the different stages of making Inaniwa Udon and the ‘Ogawa’ logo inspired by the drying stage of the noodles where they are left to hang after being stretched.
About Inaniwa Udon Ogawa
Founded in 1982, Inaniwa Udon Ogawa seems like a new company compared to the 400 year history of Inaniwa Udon. However, this is perhaps one of its strengths, as the company is committed to innovation and continuous improvement in production, which is why it is the first specific factory in Japan to be awarded JAS certification, through adherence to ISO-type standards for raw materials used, manual labour, noodle maturation and other production processes and methods.
