![](https://onkitchentable.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/wubeibei_Take_a_close-up_realistic_photograph_of_the_Mapo_Tofu__e54f0088-5da2-46af-836b-ee3f0e9f207d-1170x650.jpg?v=1693944840)
Mapo tofu is one of the famous Sichuan dishes. The main ingredients include tofu, minced beef , chili, and Sichuan peppercorn. The numbing spiciness comes from the Sichuan peppercorn, while the spiciness comes from the chili. This dish highlights the characteristic of numbing and spicy in Sichuan cuisine. The dish was first created during the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor of the Qing dynasty by a restaurant owner named Chen in Chengdu city. Chen had a face covered with freckles and was called “Chen Mapo” (ma-po means freckles woman). The dish she invented, “burning tofu,” was named after her and became known as “Chen Mapo Tofu.” My recipe uses less chili, so it is fragrant but not spicy.
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Instructions
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You can find Douban jiang, a spicy fermented chili bean paste, at your local Asian grocery store.