Chengdu, Sichuan province. Named after the woman who created it — a pockmarked (ma = pockmark) old woman (po) who ran a small restaurant near Chengdu. The dish is documented from the Qing Dynasty in the late 19th century.
Mapo tofu (Ma Po Dou Fu) is the masterwork of Sichuan cooking — silken tofu in a sauce of doubanjiang (fermented broad bean and chilli paste), black beans, ground pork, and the mala of Sichuan peppercorn-dried chilli. The tofu should be silken enough to quiver; the sauce should be deep red, glistening with chilli oil, and coat the tofu rather than pool around it. This is arguably the greatest use of tofu in any cuisine.
Chengdu baijiu (Wuliangye or Jiannanchun) — the fiery grain spirit of Sichuan is the authentic pairing, consumed in small glasses alongside the ma la heat. Or a cold Chongqing Beer (Chongqing Lager) — the local lager from the city near Chengdu.
{"Doubanjiang (Pi Xian brand — Pi County, Sichuan): the fermented broad bean paste that defines Sichaun cooking. Chop finely before adding to the wok — the bean paste should be broken down","The mala: Sichuan peppercorns bloomed in oil first, then the doubanjiang fried until the oil turns deep red (about 2 minutes) — this chilli oil infusion is the flavour base","Ground pork (30% fat): cooked with the doubanjiang, absorbing the red oil. The pork is a seasoning, not the protein star — the tofu is","Silken tofu (kinugoshi): cut into 2cm cubes, added gently to the sauce, simmered for 4 minutes only — the tofu absorbs the sauce on the surface while remaining silk throughout","Broth: 100ml chicken or pork broth added to create the liquid for the tofu to simmer in","Cornstarch slurry: a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed in cold water, stirred into the sauce to thicken it to a coating consistency"}
The moment where mapo tofu lives or dies is the tofu handling. Silken tofu is extremely fragile — it will break if stirred or tossed. Add the tofu cubes to the sauce and leave them undisturbed for 2 minutes, then gently spoon the sauce over the top to baste. Transfer to the serving bowl in one gentle scoop. A spoon dragged across the surface of the finished dish should move through the sauce without disturbing the tofu cubes below.
{"Firm tofu: the texture is wrong — only silken or soft tofu for mapo tofu","Under-frying the doubanjiang: the raw, fermented smell does not cook off, and the sauce is sharp rather than deep","Too much cornstarch: the sauce turns glue-like. It should coat, not congeal"}