So what? My mother used to make me sandwiches with love.

In Apolda, Germany, a quiet town that was once a large textile hub, I entered a kebab shop and ordered a doner “mit Kuss.” The customers went quiet, and the man working the counter squinted at me. “Ein doner mit Kuss,” I repeated.

My friend Mike quietly said, “Uh, you just asked for a sandwich with a kiss. The word for cheese is Käse.”