Both Clearspring's udon and soba [1] noodles from China and All Buckwheat [2] soba from Japan are made using the traditional Japanese roll-and-cut method.

This process is essentially the same as that traditionally used by Japanese people in their homes, and is begun by adding salted water to freshly ground organic [3] flour. The correct salt content is critical for developing the protein in the dough and to make sure that the noodles stay fresh during the natural drying process. The dough is thoroughly mixed and kneaded, then allowed to rest.

After several hours, the dough is checked for the right level of stickiness. It's then passed through a series of rollers to form thin, long sheets. The last roller has a cutter attached, which can be changed to cut the dough into either thick udon or thin soba noodles. The long ribbon-like strands emerging from the cutter are then chopped into two metre lengths and carried to a special drying room.

After slowly drying for at least thirty hours at room temperature, the noodles are cut and packed. The whole process takes four times as long as the modern method, which can be completed in a single working day.

The benefits of long, slow production are providing the best possible flavour and digestibility.