【Learn Chinese】Traditional Food in China: Mapo Tofu

麻婆豆腐 (má pó dòufu) is truly one of the most famous dishes of Chinese cuisine. It originated in Sichuan province.

What does Wikipedia say about this dish? It states that the dish “consists of tofu set in a spicy sauce, typically a thin, oily, and bright red suspension, based on douban (fermented broadbean and chili paste) and douchi (fermented black beans), along with minced meat, traditionally beef.“
Variations exist with other ingredients such as water chestnuts, onions and other vegetables.
One account indicates that the dish existed as early as 1862, in a suburb of the sub-provincial city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.
The character má (麻) signifies this dish is at least a bit spicy and the recipe calls for Sichuan peppercorns and chili oil. Authentic Mapo Tofu is powerfully spicy with both conventional "heat" spiciness and the characteristic málà (numbing spiciness) flavor of Sichuan cuisine. The feel of the particular dish is often described by cooks using seven specific Chinese adjectives: má 麻 (numbing), là 辣 (spicy hot), tàng 烫 (hot temperature), xiān 鲜 (fresh), nèn 嫩 (tender and soft), xiāng 香 (aromatic), and sū 酥 (flaky).
The most important and necessary ingredients in the dish that give it the distinctive flavour are chili broad bean paste (salty bean paste) from Sichuan's Pixian county (郫县豆瓣酱), fermented black beans, chili oil, chili flakes of the heaven-facing pepper (朝天辣椒), Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger, green onions, and rice wine. Supplementary ingredients include water or stock, sugar (depending on the saltiness of the bean paste brand used), and starch (if it is desired to thicken the sauce).
This popular and comforting Sichuan dish pairs excellently with rice.