Difference between revisions of "Mapo Tofu"

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|title=Mapo Tofu (Ma Po Dou Fu) - Chinese Food Wiki
|title=Mapo Tofu (Ma Po Dou Fu) - Chinese Food Wiki
|keywords=Mapo Tofu,Ma Po Dou Fu
|keywords=Mapo Tofu,Ma Po Dou Fu
|description=Mapo Tofu (Simplified Chinese: 麻婆豆腐; Traditional Chinese: 麻婆豆腐; Pinyin: Málà dòufu;). Mapo Tofu can be found in nearly any Chinese restaurant around the world with hundreds of variations adapting the piquant original to suit local tastes.  
|description=Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐), a Sichuan tofu dish known for chili-seasoned bean paste, fermented black beans and Sichuan pepper. Explore its Chengdu history, ingredients and recipe.  
}}
}}


{{Infobox chinese food
{{Infobox chinese food
| name = Mapo Tofu
|width=270px
| image = Mapo_Tofo.png
|image=Mapo_Tofo.png
| caption = Mapo Tofu
|caption=Mapo tofu
| pinyin = Ma Po Dou Fu
|pinyin=mápó dòufu
| alternate_name = Mapo Dou Fu
|alternate_name=Mapo doufu
| country = China
|country=China
| region = Sichuan
|region=Chengdu, Sichuan
| national_cuisine =
|type=Tofu dish
| year = 19th Century
|course=Main course
| type = Stir-fried
| course = Main Course
| main_ingredient =
| minor_ingredient =
| similar_dish =
| other = Cooking time:
}}
}}


== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==


Mapo Tofu (Simplified Chinese: 麻婆豆腐; Traditional Chinese: 麻婆豆腐; Pinyin: Málà dòufu;). Mapo Tofu can be found in nearly any Chinese restaurant around the world with hundreds of variations adapting the piquant original to suit local tastes. This dish can also be called the Mapo Doufu. Mapo Tofu is a traditional [[Sichuan Food|Sichuan Cuisine]] Dish, consists of tofu set in a spicy sauce, typically a thin, oily, and bright red suspension, based on douban (fermented broadbean and chili paste) and douchi (fermented black beans), along with minced meat, usually pork or beef. Variations exist with other ingredients such as water chestnuts, onions, other vegetables, or wood ear fungus.<ref name="wp">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapo_tofu English Wikipedia]</ref>
'''Mapo tofu''' (麻婆豆腐; pinyin: ''mápó dòufu''), also written mapo doufu, is a well-known dish associated with Chengdu and Sichuan cooking. It combines tofu with a chili-seasoned bean sauce and commonly minced beef or pork; fermented black beans and Sichuan pepper contribute depth and the characteristic numbing aroma. Recipes vary by cook and restaurant.<ref name="chen">[https://lzhbwg.mofcom.gov.cn/edi_ecms_web_front/thb/detail/f7ab3a6e7ea0426d8fd104fc7c93df79 Chen Mapo], China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.</ref><ref name="sc-gov">[https://www.sc.gov.cn/10462/12771/2018/9/14/10458993.shtml Mapo tofu profile], Sichuan Provincial Government.</ref>


"Ma" stands for "ma-zi" (Chinese: mázi, 麻子) which means pockmarks. "Po" is the first syllable of "popo" (Chinese: 婆婆, pópo) which means an old woman or grandma. Hence, mapo is an old woman whose face is pockmarked. It is thus sometimes translated as "pockmarked grandma's beancurd".
== Characteristics ==
== Characteristics ==


The taste is unique and the taste is smooth.
Mapo tofu is known for the contrast of tender tofu, savory bean seasoning and chili heat. Sichuan pepper adds a fragrant, numbing sensation often called ''má'' (麻); chili brings ''là'' (辣). A Sichuan government food profile describes the Chen-style dish through its red appearance, crisp beef pieces, and numbing, hot, fragrant and tender qualities.<ref name="sc-gov" />


Authentic mapo doufu is powerfully spicy with both conventional "heat" spiciness and the characteristic málà (numbing spiciness) flavor of [[Sichuan Food|Sichuan cuisine]].
The documented Chen Mapo preparation uses tofu, minced beef, fermented black beans, chili seasoning, garlic, ginger, stock and Sichuan pepper. Other household and restaurant recipes substitute pork, omit meat or adjust the seasonings, so there is no single ingredient list shared by every version.<ref name="chen" />
 
The feel of the particular dish is often described by cooks using seven specific Chinese adjectives: má 麻 (numbing), là 辣 (spicy hot), tāng 烫 (hot temperature), xiān 鲜 (fresh), nèn 嫩 (tender and soft), xiāng 香 (aromatic), and sū 酥 (flaky).
 
The authentic form of the dish is increasingly easy to find outside China today, but usually only in Sichuanese restaurants that do not adapt the dish for non-Sichuanese tastes.
 
The most important and necessary ingredients in the dish that give it the distinctive flavour are chili broad bean paste (salty bean paste) from Sichuan's Pixian county ([[Pixian Doubanjiang|郫县豆瓣酱]]), fermented black beans, chili oil, chili flakes of the heaven-facing pepper (朝天辣椒), Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, green onions, and rice wine.
 
Supplementary ingredients include water or stock, sugar (depending on the saltiness of the bean paste brand used), and starch (if it is desired to thicken the sauce).


== Nutrition ==
== Nutrition ==


Calories (kcal) 126.17 (Per 100 grams)
Nutrition varies with tofu type, meat, oil and portion size. Values require a specified recipe and serving size; the figures previously listed on this page were not tied to a verifiable source and have been removed.
 
Carbohydrate (g) 5.37 (Per 100 grams)
 
Fat (g) 8.90 (Per 100 grams)
 
Protein (g) 6.35 (Per 100 grams)
 
Cellulose (g) 0.53 (Per 100 grams)
 
 
== Calories ==
 
Mapo Tofu (Ma Po Dou Fu) is estimated to be 126 kcal per 100 grams of calories.
 


== In Chinese ==
== In Chinese ==
Line 71: Line 42:
== Origin ==
== Origin ==


Legend has it that in Qing Dynasty, there was an old woman named Chen Po, who runned a tofu business. She was so good at making tofu and therefore had a flourishing business that other tofu makers and restaurants owners envied her and made her a discriminative name "Ma Po". Chen Po is aware of their slander, but she decided to focus on her business. One day she accidently invented a new way of cooking tofu, and the dish was so delicious that it became so famous over the place.
The Ministry of Commerce’s time-honored brand museum identifies the Chen Mapo restaurant as established near Chengdu’s north gate in 1862. Its institutional history recounts that the proprietor’s wife, surnamed Chen, prepared tofu for customers and that the dish became associated with her nickname. This is the restaurant’s account of its origin; the specific story should be attributed to that source.<ref name="chen" /> Chengdu’s municipal intangible-heritage list separately recognizes the Chen Mapo tofu preparation technique as a local heritage project.<ref name="ich">[https://www.cdich.cn/index.php/cms/zixundongtai/1052.html Chengdu municipal intangible cultural heritage project list], Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center.</ref>


== Variations ==
== Variations ==


Mapo doufu can also be found in restaurants in other Chinese provinces as well as in Japan and Korea where the flavor is adapted to local tastes.  
Mapo tofu is prepared in many regional and restaurant styles. Cooks may use beef, pork or no meat, and vary the amount of chili, oil and Sichuan pepper. These adaptations reflect the dish’s spread; the Ministry of Commerce profile records one specific Chen Mapo restaurant tradition rather than a mandatory recipe for all versions.<ref name="chen" />
 
In the west, the dish is often greatly changed, with its spiciness severely toned down to widen its appeal.
 
This happens particularly in Chinese restaurants not specialising in [[Sichuan Food|Sichuan cuisine]]. In American Chinese cuisine, the dish is often made without meat to appeal to vegetarians, using shiitakes or other edible mushrooms as substitutes to meat, as with very little spice, a thick sweet-and-sour sauce, and added vegetables, a stark contrast from the original dish.


== Ingredient ==
== Ingredient ==
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| potato starch || 1 teaspoon  
| potato starch || 1 teaspoon  
|-
|-
| sugar || = 1 teaspoon
| sugar || 1 teaspoon
|-
|-
| sesame oil || 1 tablespoon
| sesame oil || 1 tablespoon
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3. Add the tofu, and toss to mix (if you stir it, the tofu will lose its shape).
3. Add the tofu, and toss to mix (if you stir it, the tofu will lose its shape).


4. Give the stock mixture a good stir to incorporate anything that may have settled, and then pour it over the pork and tofu. Toss to coat, then boil until the sauce thickens.
4. Give the stock mixture a good stir to incorporate anything that may have settled, and then pour it over the tofu and simmer gently until the sauce thickens.


5. Garnished with the green parts of the green onions, then serve with hot rice.
5. Garnish with the green parts of the green onions and serve with hot rice.


<br>
<br>
== Health ==
Enriched with animal and plant proteins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins and carbohydrates, it has the effect of replenishing the fluid, and moistening the dryness, and replenishing the essence.
In summer, it can strengthen the spleen, which is good for fitness and disease prevention.


== Similar Food ==
== Similar Food ==

Latest revision as of 13:11, 25 September 2026


Mapo Tofo.png

Mapo tofu

Alternative names Mapo doufu
Pinyin mápó dòufu
Type Tofu dish
Course Main course
Place of origin China
Region or state Chengdu, Sichuan
Other

Introduction

Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐; pinyin: mápó dòufu), also written mapo doufu, is a well-known dish associated with Chengdu and Sichuan cooking. It combines tofu with a chili-seasoned bean sauce and commonly minced beef or pork; fermented black beans and Sichuan pepper contribute depth and the characteristic numbing aroma. Recipes vary by cook and restaurant.[1][2]

Characteristics

Mapo tofu is known for the contrast of tender tofu, savory bean seasoning and chili heat. Sichuan pepper adds a fragrant, numbing sensation often called má (麻); chili brings là (辣). A Sichuan government food profile describes the Chen-style dish through its red appearance, crisp beef pieces, and numbing, hot, fragrant and tender qualities.[2]

The documented Chen Mapo preparation uses tofu, minced beef, fermented black beans, chili seasoning, garlic, ginger, stock and Sichuan pepper. Other household and restaurant recipes substitute pork, omit meat or adjust the seasonings, so there is no single ingredient list shared by every version.[1]

Nutrition

Nutrition varies with tofu type, meat, oil and portion size. Values require a specified recipe and serving size; the figures previously listed on this page were not tied to a verifiable source and have been removed.

In Chinese

Simplified Chinese: 麻婆豆腐;

Traditional Chinese: 麻婆豆腐;

Pinyin: má pó dòu fǔ;


Origin

The Ministry of Commerce’s time-honored brand museum identifies the Chen Mapo restaurant as established near Chengdu’s north gate in 1862. Its institutional history recounts that the proprietor’s wife, surnamed Chen, prepared tofu for customers and that the dish became associated with her nickname. This is the restaurant’s account of its origin; the specific story should be attributed to that source.[1] Chengdu’s municipal intangible-heritage list separately recognizes the Chen Mapo tofu preparation technique as a local heritage project.[3]

Variations

Mapo tofu is prepared in many regional and restaurant styles. Cooks may use beef, pork or no meat, and vary the amount of chili, oil and Sichuan pepper. These adaptations reflect the dish’s spread; the Ministry of Commerce profile records one specific Chen Mapo restaurant tradition rather than a mandatory recipe for all versions.[1]

Ingredient

silken tofu block 14 ounce
soy sauce 2 teaspoon
potato starch 1 teaspoon
sugar 1 teaspoon
sesame oil 1 tablespoon
minced garlic 2 medium cloves
minced ginger 2 teaspoons
minced green onions (white part only) 2
Sichuan peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon
doubanjiang (chili bean paste) 2 teaspoons
low sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup

Recipe

1. Add the chicken stock, cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar to a small bowl and stir to combine.

2. Heat a wok or large frying pan until hot. Add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger and green onions and stir-fry until fragrant. Add Sichuan pepper and continue stir-frying for about 30 seconds. Add the doubanjiang and stir to distribute.

3. Add the tofu, and toss to mix (if you stir it, the tofu will lose its shape).

4. Give the stock mixture a good stir to incorporate anything that may have settled, and then pour it over the tofu and simmer gently until the sauce thickens.

5. Garnish with the green parts of the green onions and serve with hot rice.


Similar Food

Stinky Tofu

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chen Mapo, China Time-honored Brand Digital Museum, Ministry of Commerce.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mapo tofu profile, Sichuan Provincial Government.
  3. ↑ Chengdu municipal intangible cultural heritage project list, Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center.
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