Mapo Doufu

The Origin of Mapo Doufu

Mapo Doufu is one of popular Chinese Sichuan dish with a long history. It's a combination of Tofu (bean curd) set in a spicy chili and bean-based sauce, and often topped with minced meat(pork or beef). The Chinese 'Ma' is means a person disfigured by pockmarks, and the Chinese 'Po' translates as "old woman". Why called this name, there has a interesting folklore in China.

A woman named Chen who manage a restaurant in Chengdu city under the Qing Dynasty in China, She was relyed primarily on Tofu(bean curd) dishes. After a time, this restaurant had succeed according as it is sincerity and not hypocrisy, judiciously managed, and peculiar flavors. In the meantime, There also had a restaurant ownered a young women is across the street, the young women's eyes was blazed with hate, and always want to took the bread out of her mouth.

One day, A customer came in Chen's Tofu restaurant, holding a one kilogram beef minced meat. As soon as he sat down the female bosses sex up him from opposite the restaurant, the customer had left and lost his minced meat with nervous. at that time, more and more customers came to eating, then one of customer saw the beef minced meat, so he let Chen to made a Tofu dish with meat, Chen is sorely perplexed but have to do that. After the new disd had finished, The feel of the particular dish is often described by cooks using seven specific Chinese adjectives: numbing, spicy hot, hot temperature, fresh, tender and soft, aromatic, and flaky. These seven characteristics had made this dish as the well-known Sichuan cuisine.

Because Chen's face was pockmarked and has over 60 years old at that time, So local people gave this Tofu dish a speical name "Mapo Tofu". Today, It can also be found in the many restaurants in other Chinese provinces and in Korea and Japan.

Where To Eat

Note: Almost all Sichuan food restaurants could offers Dry Sauteing Beans, above is our recommend.

Beijing-travels.com offers online information about the Mapo Doufu, Keep browsing our site for More meals information in Beijing China.