The Kinder Egg Surprise Is Finally Coming to the USA

US citizens who have traveled abroad or who are expats likely think fondly on a certain chocolate treat: the Kinder egg. One of the most popular versions of the Kinder egg, the Kinder Surprise, is a thin shell of milk chocolate encasing a surprise toy and has been banned for sale in the United States, but all of that is about to change. Soon, Kinder eggs will finally be sold in the US, undoubtedly bringing joy to anyone who has ever been treated to the candy egg that comes with a toy. We’ll have to wait until January of next year to see them in stores, but the additional wait will be well worth it.

For years, the FDA and the Consumer Protection Agency have banned Kinder Surprise over concerns that the toy inside presents a choking hazard. Apparently there are still some fears among the governmental powers that be, because what we’re getting next year is a variation on the Surprise, called Kinder Joy, according to Fortune. While the Kinder Surprise has a plastic egg inside the chocolate that houses the toy, the Joy also comes with a toy, but it’s totally separate from the chocolate egg. Not quite as much fun but still captures the spirit of the thing.

Some people may be scratching their heads at this point, thinking, “But I’ve bought Kinder Surprise eggs in the US a ton of times recently…” That’s totally possible, as CNN Money reports there’s been a black market for Kinder Surprise for years. Ferrero International, the company that owns Kinder, tells CNN that “Any Kinder product that has been sold in the US up until now was done on an unauthorized basis.” Whoops.

“Unauthorized” purchases of Kinder goods aside… it’s nice to know that we can look forward to having a favorite treat sold in candy and grocery stores in a mere 7 months.