Mapo Tofu

Sichuan cuisine · spicy food · tofu · Chinese cooking

Seriously spicy sauce. Mapo tofu gets its bright red color and intense heat from special Sichuan ingredients called douban (fermented bean paste) and douchi (fermented black beans). The sauce is thin and oily, coating every piece of tofu with bold, tingly flavor.

Soft tofu star. The dish is built around tofu, which is a protein made from soybeans that has a silky, delicate texture. The tofu soaks up all the spicy flavors from the sauce, making it absolutely delicious.

Ground meat addition. Traditionally made with minced beef, the meat adds a savory richness to the dish. Some versions swap in other proteins or skip the meat entirely, but beef is the classic choice.

Ancient Chengdu origins. Mapo tofu likely started at a restaurant in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, sometime between the 1860s and 1870s. It became so popular that it spread across China and now people love it all over the world.

Mix-in possibilities. While the basic recipe is tofu, sauce, and meat, cooks sometimes add water chestnuts for crunch, onions for sweetness, or wood ear fungus for a chewy texture. Every cook can make it their own way.