chinese food

chinese food

Everybody knows about Chinese food. As I’m sure that at one point or another, everybody has tried it. With the long history of China and its cuisine and the sheer number of Chinese - and in turn, Chinatowns - scattered all over the world, it does not come as a surprise that this oriental style of cooking is highly popular in many countries.

Looking through several websites that enumerate the most popular Chinese dishes, there were several that seemed to top everybody’s list. These include Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Pork, Kung Pao Chicken, and Mapo Tofu.

It is Mapo Tofu that I would like to provide some enlightenment on today, as I believe among all Chinese food it is one of the dishes that has several variations and has one of the most interesting origins attached to it.

Mapo Tofu, or Mapo Doufu as others spell it, is a dish that originated from the Szechuan province, which is located in the southern area of China. Szechuan cuisine is known for its generous use of chili peppers, garlic, peppercorns, ginger, and sesame paste to flavor its dishes. Mapo Tofu is not an exception as it has been described as powerfully spicy.

The original recipe for this delicious meal consisted of soft tofu, fermented black beans, ground pork, bean paste, pepper and garlic. However, because of foreign adaptations, most people now associate it as a vegetarian dish with its main ingredient only being tofu.

Mapo Tofu has a very amusing story related to its origin. According to legend, the dish was created during the Qing Dynasty, some time in the 18th century, in Chengdu city. Some sources say that a woman named Chen was the one who invented it and that the name was given to describe her. The literal translation of Mapo Tofu is “old pockmarked lady tofu,” which pays homage to what she looked like. Chen, due to her condition, lived in the outskirts of the city. Many travelers frequently passed the road she lived on and on one occasion, a farmer and his son were forced to seek refuge in her house as they were caught in a terrible storm. For dinner, she prepared the dish we now know as Mapo Tofu. The father and son were so impressed with the meal they were served that when they returned to the city they spread the word to others. As time went by, more and more visitors stopped by Chen’s house to taste her famous cooking.

So the next time you and your friends decide to partake of Chinese food, ask for an order of Mapo Tofu and regale your companions with the charming story of how this delectable dish from the Szechuan province came into culinary existence.