The Story of Mapo Tofu
As to the beginning of Mapo Tofu, there are a lot of stories. The most popular one is that the dish was created in the early years of Tongzhi reign in Qing Dynast (1856–75) by Chenshi, the wife of the owner of a small restaurant, located under Wanfu Bridge, in the northern suburbs of Chengdu.Mapo (/maa-por/) is the way Chinese describe a woman who has pitted face. Chenshi was the mapo ('pit-faced woman') who created the tofu dish, hence (Chenshi) mapo tofu.The restaurant where mapotofu appeared was originally called Chen Xingsheng Restaurant, located under a short but broad wooden bridge — Wanfu Bridge. Many passing street vendors and common workers liked to have a rest in the restaurant.Oil couriers were major customers. They would buy some tofu and beef there, scoop out some vegetable oil from their consignment, and ask Mapo (Chenshi) to cook it into one dish. As time passed by, Mapo learned some unique skills and created a special dish.The tofu she cooked was so tasty that everyone liked it, and her tofu gradually became famous during her lifetime. Therefore people called the tofu she cooked Chen Mapo Tofu, and her small restaurant was eventually renamed Chen Mapo Tofu Restaurant.Thanks to the efforts of descendants of Chen Mapo over many generations, the restaurant has achieved lasting fame for more than 140 years, gaining high praise among connoisseurs.