Mapo Tofu
麻婆豆腐 · Mápó Dòufu
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📍 Easy to find in Chengdu
Mapo Tofu is Sichuan cuisine's greatest gift to the world. Tender silken tofu cubes swim in a sauce of doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste), Sichuan peppercorns, and ground beef. The name 'pockmarked grandma's tofu' comes from its creator, an elderly woman with a pockmarked face who ran a small restaurant in Chengdu during the Qing Dynasty. The signature tingly numbness (ma) and spicy heat (la) define the dish.
📖 History
Created in the 1860s at a small restaurant in Chengdu's Wanfu Bridge area. The original recipe has remained largely unchanged for over 150 years.
🍽 Where to eat it:
Chen Mapo Tofu (陈麻婆豆腐) on West Yulong Street is the original and most legendary restaurant. Expect a queue.
Chen Mapo Tofu (陈麻婆豆腐) on West Yulong Street is the original and most legendary restaurant. Expect a queue.