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Dai says
Mapo tofu is one of the most well-known dishes from Sichuan in southwest China, made of tofu, minced pork, and spices.
A plate of well-cooked mapo tofu is aromatic, soft, and numbingly spicy. That fiery sensation, which is quite addictive to some, comes from peppercorn, a local spice from the region. Fermented bean paste, or doubanjiang, adds umami to the dish.
The area is known for being humid, so people eat spicy food to get rid of the damp feeling in their bodies. It is said that the dish was created by a grandmother during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912). “Ma” refers to the pockmarks on her face, while “po” means old woman in Chinese. This recipe is part of the Goldthread series “A Basic Chinese Dish'' that teaches you how to cook classic, simple dishes from China that are so easy to make, they’re like learning your ABCDs.
