Chengdu, Sichuan Province — Chen Mapo restaurant, Qing dynasty
The canonical version of Chen Mapo's recipe, as documented by Fuchsia Dunlop from Chengdu sources: silken tofu in a sauce of Pixian doubanjiang, fermented black beans, ground beef, and Sichuan pepper-infused oil. The seven characteristics of authentic mapo tofu: 麻 (numbing pepper), 辣 (spicy), 烫 (scalding hot), 鲜 (fresh and vibrant), 嫩 (tender), 香 (aromatic), 酥 (crispy beef).
The full mala spectrum: numbing pepper, chilli heat, fermented bean depth, fresh tofu cooling softness, crispy beef texture — all seven characteristics must be present
{"Silken tofu only — never firm; cubed 2cm and blanched in salted water before adding to sauce","Ground beef small amount (100g for 400g tofu) — fried until crispy and aromatic, not the main ingredient","Doubanjiang fried in oil until red — the colour and flavour must be cooked into the oil first","Freshly ground Sichuan pepper added at finish — the numbing must be present but not overwhelming"}
{"The finished sauce should be bright red and glossy — the colour indicates the doubanjiang has been properly fried","Use good quality Pixian doubanjiang from Pi county, Sichuan — aged versions (2+ years) have more depth","Three starch-thickening additions in sequence: the sauce should cling to the tofu without being gloopy"}
{"Using firm tofu instead of silken — wrong texture entirely; the soft wobble is essential","Too much meat — mapo tofu is primarily a tofu dish with meat as flavouring","Adding Sichuan pepper at wrong time — it should be added at the very end and barely cooked"}
Land of Plenty — Fuchsia Dunlop