Project Sichuan #7 - Mapo Tofu: a tribute to Pock-Faced Grandma
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Tofu. For many, the mere mention of it repels them from the table. There is something about this simple, pure staple of healthy eating that seems to drive people away. But when one considers that tofu is nothing more than soy bean curd – clean, pure and full of protein – it’s confusing to understand what such negative sentiment is all about. And if you want to experience how good tofu can be, Mapo Tofu is the dish to try. It eats like a meal, delivering sensational taste, bits of meat, bold spice and soft tofu that pulls it all together. Another delicious miracle from the Chengdu mountains.
The origin story of this classic sichuanese staple is mixed, but most agree that it likely relates back to someone’s grandmother whose face was pock-marked and scarred. “Mapo,” after all, means “pock-marked old woman” and doufu is, well, tofu. Many think it was a dish that “old mother Chen” (chen mapo) devised to feed Chengdu workers passing by the Bridge of Ten Thousand Blessings – laborers who needed sustenance and protein to get them through a hard life in the local markets. The comfort food was so satisfying that it became legendary and others throughout Sichuan Province began to prepare their tofu the same way. The rest, as they say, is history. Today mapo tofu, or mapo doufu, is found in nearly every Sichuanese restaurant around the globe. It’s a universally-popular comfort food that can alternatively stand on its own as a meal or sit as a side dish amongst a sea of others. Either way, there is never any left at the end of the meal.
Think small cubes of smooth, tender tofu like a handful of ecru dice. They’re coated in shiny, spicy chili sauce with a hint of heat and mala (spicy and numbing) flavor, giving a mildly piquant tingle to your tongue with its flavor of old China. As soft as the tofu is, its cubic shape is firm and definable – not some jiggly, slushy sensation that so many tofu-hesitants fear. The delicate blocks are gently simmered with fermented beans, chili paste and ground beef or pork. The result is a deep, warming sauce – nutty brown with a reddish tint — offset by baby leeks for a hit of freshness and sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorn powder. It is luscious and smooth; the kind of dish that you eat quietly, enjoying the soft mouthfeel of silky tofu as it breaks apart when you barely bite down.
There is something heartwarming about a steaming bowl of mapo tofu. Perhaps it's the juxtaposition of lush texture and bold flavor. The softness of the tofu seems gentle, creating a subconscious expectation of something mild, even flavorless. But those bouncy chunks absorb the bold, spicy sauce in which they cook, taking on a stronger flavor and spiciness that awakens the taste buds. The combined sensation of a firm and custardy mala delivery system seems somehow surprising and almost whimsical. The tofu is buttery, but not too soft; the sauce and minced meat is spicy without overwhelming. It’s a balance of texture and flavor to form a dish that follows a Middle Path between dainty and bold; harsh and luxurious; love and war.
Tofu dates back to at least the tenth century, if not earlier, and has been a mainstay protein throughout Asia and the world. If that many people have been eating tofu for that many years, it must be good, right? And even one look at tofu in its glorious mapo form renders it hard to resist. But – dare I say it – the reluctance to explore the world of tofu is noticeably more prevalent in men than women. I know – I’ve been there. So from a former tofu-avoider myself I must honestly say: Guys, you don’t know what you’re missing! Dismiss your fears and seek tofu enlightenment. And Mapo Tofu is the perfect place to start.
