Akai Kutsu (lit. ‘red shoes’) is a famous Japanese children’s poem written in 1922 by poet Ujō Noguchi. It tells the story of a young girl adopted by foreigners and taken to the United States, with Yokohama, a major port city in Japan, serving as a backdrop. A statue titled ‘The Girl in the Red Shoes’ in Yokohama’s Yamashita Park captures the poem’s innocent imagery.

This Yokohama Marine Foods Akai Kutsu no Onnanoko Langue de Chat is an omiyage that draws on Yokohama’s connection to the famous poem “Akai Kutsu.” The product reflects the city’s identification with the poem and its cultural significance.

Each box contained 12 individually sealed langue de chat cookies.

Each cookie was a rounded square shape measuring about 4.5 cm and about 0.8 cm thick, with a golden brown edge and a silhouette portrait of the little girl imprinted in the middle of the top cookie. The cookie had a ratio of 2 parts cookie to 1 part filling.

The cookie had a sweet, buttery aroma with a subtle hint of vanilla. On tasting, it offered a light crispness that crumbled into a fine texture, resembling granulated sugar. Mid-bite, the white chocolate filling introduced a contrasting coolness, delivering a rich, creamy sweetness that intensified towards the end. As the filling combined with the fine cookie crumbs, it created a melt-in-the-mouth finish. Overall, these cookies were quite similar to Shiroi Koibito White, though Shiroi Koibito featured a slightly crisper, larger cookie and a more aromatic white chocolate filling.

This Yokohama Marine Foods Akai Kutsu no Onnanoko White Langue de Chat contained 100 g (12 pieces). It was produced in Japan and received as a gift from family visiting Japan in 2024.