MAPO TOFU or 麻(Má)婆(Pó)豆(Dòu)腐(Fu)

MAIN INGREDIENTS: plain soybean tofu, minced beef, fermented soybean paste, Pixian chili bean paste sauce, sesame oil, chicken stock, Sichuan pepper corns, scallions.

TASTE and TEXTURE: soft tofu and beef that tastes spicy, with the peppercorns leaving a fresh, numbing sensation that’s sure to grab your attention.

HISTORY: Mapo tofu originates in Chengdu, Sichuan Province’s capital city. The dish has become one of the most well-known offerings from Sichuan cuisine. About two hundred years ago in 1824, a couple started a vegetarian restaurant in Chengdu where they served patrons tofu in a special numbing sauce (or 麻(Má)), a dish that became very popular. And so locals began referring to the dish as ‘ma (numbing) po (wife)’ tofu. This bit of wordplay additionally sounds out the Chinese word for ‘freckle,’ and so pulled double duty as an endearing reference to the restauranteur wife’s distinctive freckles, effectively making the dish “Ms. Ma Po’s Tofu.