Mapo doufu
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Mapo doufu (麻婆豆腐）; pinyin: Mápó dòufu) is a popular Chinese dish from the Szechuan (Sichuan) province. It is a combination of tofu (bean curd) and meat, usually pork, in a slightly spicy (hot) bean-based sauce, sometimes with other ingredients such as water chestnuts, onions, or wood ear fungus. The name means "Pocked-Face Lady's Tofu", and is said to come from a (possibly fictional) food vendor by the name of Ma, who made and sold the dish. Another possible explanation stems from an alternate definition of 麻, meaning "numb": the Szechuan peppercorns used in the dish can slightly numb the diner's mouth.
In American Chinese cuisine the dish is often made without meat to appeal to vegetarians, and with very little spice.
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Story of Mápó dòufu
Legend of the Má Pó
Legend says that the Má Pó was a leprous widow who lived near the ancient Chinese city of Sichuan. Due to her condition, her home was placed on the outskirts of the city. By coincidence, it was near a road where goods carriers often passed. Although the rich merchants could afford to stay within the numerous inns of the prosperous city while waiting for their goods to sell, poor farmers would stay in cheaper inns scattered along the sides of roads on the outskirts of the ancient city.
It is said that the first people who tasted the Má Pó's cooking were a farmer and his son who arrived late to the city during a terrible rainstorm. They were forced to find shelter in the Má Pó's home having found that all of the inns were full.
Eager for the company, the Má Pó prepared them a meal out of her paulty larder, now know as Mápó dòufu. The dish was so delicious that soon each time the father and son passed the Má Pó's home they would stay for a meal. In this way, the Má Pó's reknown spread as other goods carriers joined the father and son in visiting and staying at the Má Pó's home. These visitors would often bring the ingredients for her dish so as not to burden the Má Pó's larder.
As time passed, the dish evolved. However, the core ingredients has always been: an ounce of ground pork, a few ounces of dòufu, and an ample amount of chili.
History of the Má Pó
Whether or not the Má Pó actually existed is open to debate. Much of evidence for her story is derived from the similarities of pronunciation and form in the character "leprose" and the character for "numb". In many circumstances, the two characters are used interchangeably. Outside of similarites in etymology, the story is based purely on hear-say evidence.
Some also cite the simplicity of the dish as supporting evidence for the story.