Saturday, February 25, 2006

Weekend Cooking: Mapo tofu

There are so many variations on this classic Sichuan dish, but my favorite is the original. This paste from Chongqing in Sichuan province is the most authentic I have found, and contains the requisite numbingly hot peppers. Just add some diced shiitake mushrooms and green onions to tofu and the sauce and heat, and you're ready to go. This will be dinner and a couple of weekday lunches. Only problem is it also contains chicken/meat essence so it's not suitable for vegetarians.

This company also makes pastes for dandan noodles and zhajiang mian which are also excellent. Love the translation of the company name (unfortunately not legible in the photo) - China Chongqing Fatso Chafing Dish Condiments Factory.

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