The Complete History of Mapo Tofu (probably)

Historical Mapo Tofu was... different, and very much unlike what we know of as Mapo Tofu today. 0:00 - The old way was... different 1:52 - Mapo Tofu in the 1980s 4:08 - Mapo Tofu in the 1950s 6:54 - The 1958 Recipe (the best Mapo Tofu I've ever had) 12:17 - The man that invented the masterpiece 13:46 - Mapo Tofu in the 1920s 15:42 - Mapo Tofu in the 19th century 17:40 - Which Mapo Tofu is "correct"? 20:02 - Which Mapo Tofu is the most delicious? FULL, WRITTEN 1958 RECIPE ... is over on the Substack! Free as always, of course: https://chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/the-first-mapo-tofu-recipe Inside is the original Chinese, our direct translation, and what we did in the video. ______ And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project! https://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพ Found via My Analog Journal (great channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s

2025-01-08

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video

Recipes

Historical Mapo Tofu (1958 Recipe)
Chinese Cooking Demystified

Historical Mapo Tofu (1958 Recipe)

Chinese Cooking Demystified

China flag
151.4K views • 3mo ago

The original 1958 Mapo Tofu recipe from Chengdu, China, featuring a rich beef and pork stock, minced beef, fermented black soybeans (douchi), chili powder, and soft tofu cubes. This version excludes the now-common Pixian doubanjiang (Sichuan chili bean paste) and thickening slurry, focusing on a hearty meat-to-tofu ratio and traditional seasonings.

Difficulty:

medium

Cooking Time:

4 hr 15 mins

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