Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu was originated back to Qing Dynasty in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. It was named after a female chef  called “Chen Mapo”.  Its characteristic are numbness (“má”), spicy (“là”), hot (“tàng”), fragrant (“xiāng”), crispy (“sū”), tender (“nèn”), fresh (“xiān”), and live (“huó”), together known as the proverb of eight words. Mapo Tofu is the signature dish of Sichuan cuisine, one of the eight regional cuisines in China. Mapo Tofu is one of the authentic Chinese food that has very rich flavor and soft texture. It is ideal for children, elders, and anyone at different ages.

Tofu is a type of green food invented by an alchemist named An Liu. It has a history of more than 2100 years of history, and is loved by people from all over the world. Asian people have developed many different ways to cook tofu or make tofu products; one of my favorite is dried tofu skin, which you can use in many healthy Chinese food recipes. Tofu contains high protein and low fat. It can help people lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Every year on September 15, people in Huainan City, Anhui Province, celebrate the “Tofu Culture Festival”. Now you probably can imagine how popular Tofu is!

Ingredients:

Steps:

1. Cut tofu to cubes. Finely chop ginger, garlic and green onions.
2. Mix the starch with some water and stir well.
3. Once the pan is heated, add some oil. Then add minced pork, ginger, garlic and soybean sauce.
4. Add some water, soy sauce, salt, sugar and tofu.  Stir fry for a while over high heat.
5. Once it boils, switch to low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add startch water, chopped green onions, and  pepper powder. Stir fry for 1 minute. Ready!