Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Mapo tofu is a specialty of China’s Sichuan province, and a paragon of the region’s famed ma la, or numbing and spicy, flavor. The complex flavor of this Chinese dish comes from three key ingredients: Sichuan chili flakes, umami-rich doubanjiang (a fermented chile–broad bean paste), and citrusy, tingling, mildly mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns (the berry of a prickly ash tree). Together, these ingredients bring a complex burn to the stew-like mapo tofu, which combines ground pork, douchi (fermented black beans), soy sauce, chicken stock, and cubes of creamy soft tofu for a quick-cooking wok meal. Thickened with cornstarch and garnished with green onions and ground Sichuan pepper, mapo tofu is best served over steamed white rice, with a refreshing, cooling beverage alongside.

We tested this mapo tofu recipe with several brands of fermented bean and chili paste, each varying in flavor and texture. Anything labeled “toban jiang” or “doubanjiang” will work, but it’s worth seeking out jars labeled Pixian or Chengdu for this icon of Sichuan cuisine.

Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in the July 2008 issue of ‘Gourmet’ and first appeared on Epicurious in August 2008.