To my mind, the Kinder Surprise egg, that seamed chocolate ovoid in a shiny foil wrapper, is a perfect symbol for certain differences between the United States and Europe. I say this, perhaps, because I was in Europe when I first came across Kinder eggs—in Athens, taking a semester abroad. At a cluttered little kiosk, one of the type ubiquitous in the city, where I would grab a can of iced coffee before class, I noticed another student who often bought an egg-shaped something wrapped in orange and white foil. Eventually I asked her about it, and she replied with a knowing smile: “Kinder egg. My boyfriend collects the toys, and you can’t get them in the US.”

Later, in class, she showed me what she meant. She peeled back the wrapper