Mapo tofu
A bowl of mapo tofu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of origin | China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Region or state | Sichuan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Main ingredients | Tofu, douban (fermented broadbean and chili paste), and douchi (fermented black beans), along with minced meat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 麻婆豆腐 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | mápó dòufu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "pockmarked old woman beancurd" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mapo tofu (Chinese: 麻婆豆腐; pinyin: mápó dòufu) is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan province. It consists of tofu set in a spicy sauce, typically a thin, oily, and bright red suspension, based on douban (fermented broad bean and chili paste), and douchi (fermented black beans), along with minced meat, traditionally beef. Variations exist with other ingredients such as water chestnuts, onions, other vegetables, or wood ear fungus. It is likely to have originated at a Chengdu restaurant in the 1860s–1870s.