Mapo Doufu (CHINA)
Originating from Sichuan, mapo doufu consists of cubes of tofu placed in a spicy sauce containing ground beef, traditionally beef or pork, and fermented black beans known as douchi. The dish is said to have been invented at a small restaurant called Chen Xingsheng in Chengdu in 1862, while the dish is named after the female chef who created it.
So the word mapo is an abbreviation that can be translated as spotted grandmother, referring to the woman's appearance. The numbing bitterness of the dish comes from Sichuan peppercorns, cayenne pepper oil, and doubanjiang, a bean paste, while additional ingredients include wine rice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, a garnish of chopped scallions, and optionally starch.
After the mapo doufu is cooked, it will have a spicy top layer of fat that serves to retain the heat of the dish. Steamed white rice is the perfect complement to this dish, but mapo doufu can also be enjoyed on its own.
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