Cacáo in Burma strikes as relatively new.

But the Burmese have been growing rice since the Bronze Age. Prior to that, like 750,000 years ago, Homo erectus took up shop there.

Which means stone-grinding anything -- be it grains or cacáo seeds -- amounts to very old hat.

Fast forward to today, children continue to play a major part in the Tatmadaw (or army) as well as Burmese rebel movements. The Independent reported in June 2012 that "Children are being sold as conscripts into the military for as little as $40 & a bag of rice or a can of petrol."

C'mon, now, at least give 'em chocolate.

On 2^nd thought, please don't; that would only tarnish cacáo's reputation further over (somewhat sensationalized) child slave-labor, along with dangerous working conditions in West Africa.

In a landscape dotted with as many Buddhist temples as opium poppies, a couple more bars like this though & Burma will be known more for its Theobroma. It renders a chocolate that emanates a certain dispassionate spirit. Serene & flexible, bending with the wind, yet strong as bamboo.

Today nearly every damn "single"-origin anoints itself some exotic trade names like Arriba Nacional or "La Red". Burma could call theirs Theobuddha cacáo.

Enough to tempt even U Wisara, the monk who protested British rule in Burma with a hunger strike that starved him to death, to try a nibble.