Mapo doufu

Mapo doufu is a popular from the Sichuan province. It is a combination of tofu and minced meat, usually beef, in a spicy chili- and bean-based sauce, typically a thin, oily, and bright red suspension. Variations using pork or with other ingredients such as , onions, other vegetables, or wood ear fungus are not considered authentic recreations of the Sichuan classic. The name is often thought to mean "Pocked-Face Lady's Tofu," and is said to come from a food vendor by the name of Ma, who made and sold the dish. Another possible explanation stems from an alternate definition of 麻, meaning "numb": the s used in the dish can slightly numb the diner's mouth.

True Mapo doufu is powerfully spicy with both conventional "heat" spiciness and the characteristic "" flavor of Sichuan cuisine. The authentic form of the dish is increasingly easier to find outside China today, but usually in Sichuanese restaurants that do not adapt the dish for non-Sichuanese tastes.

In the west, the dish is often adulterated, with its spiciness severely toned down to widen its appeal. This happens even in Chinese restaurants, commonly those not specialising in Sichuan cuisine. In American Chinese cuisine the dish is often made without meat to appeal to vegetarians, with very little spice, a thick sweet-and-sour sauce, and added vegetables, a stark contrast from the authentic. Vegetarians can often still enjoy the powerful taste of the authentic dish, however, as it can easily be made without meat at all while not toning down the spices; this version is technically referred to as ''Mala doufu'' although this name is not always well-known.

Story of Mapo tofu

Legend of the Pock-Marked Old Lady

Ma stands for "mazi" which means a person disfigured by pockmarks. Po translates as "old woman". Hence, Ma Po is an old woman whose face was pockmarked. Legend says that the pock-marked old woman was a widow who lived in the Chinese city of Chengdu. Due to her condition, her home was placed on the outskirts of the city. By coincidence, it was near a road where traders often passed. Although the rich merchants could afford to stay within the numerous inns of the prosperous city while waiting for their goods to sell, poor farmers would stay in cheaper inns scattered along the sides of roads on the outskirts of the ancient city.

It is said that the first people who tasted the old woman's cooking were a farmer and his son who arrived late to the city during a terrible rainstorm. They were forced to find shelter in the old woman's home having found that all of the inns were full.

Pleased with the company, the old woman prepared them a meal from her paltry larder, including the dish now known as Ma Po Dou fu. The dish was so delicious that soon each time the father and son passed the old woman's home, they would stay for a meal. In this way, the old woman's renown spread as others joined the father and son in visiting and staying at her home. These visitors would often bring the ingredients for her dish so as not to burden her larder.

As time passed, the dish evolved. However, the staple ingredients have always been: an ounce of ground pork or beef, a few ounces of tofu, and an ample amount of ground Sichuan pepper.

Historical Basis

Whether or not the Pock-Marked Old Lady actually existed is open to debate. The story may have been derived from the fact that the same character is used for both "pockmark" and "numb". Aside from similarities in etymology, the story may be purely mythic/anecdotal.

Some cite the simplicity of the dish as supporting evidence for the story.