Sichuan cuisine is probably the most well-known Chinese cooking style in the West. And nothing says Sichuan more than the fiery dish known as Mapo tofu (or Mapo doufu in Mandarin). It's a simple dish that combines two kinds of spicyness – the heat that comes from chili and the “numbing spiciness” (called mala) that comes from the use of Sichuan pepper.

The dish literally means “bean curd made by a pockmarked woman.” Ma comes from mazi, meaning pockmarked and po means old woman.

There are various legends about where the name of the dish came from. One version of the story says that during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the pockmarked wife of a cook mixed cubed bean curd with a sauce containing ground beef, pepper, and of course, chili.

Another legend says that a pockmarked woman lived in the Sichuan capital of Chengdu. Because of her appearance, she was made to live in the fringes of the city. Her home happened to be near a road heavily used by travelers and traders. During those times, rich merchants would stay in the city center while poor farmers were forced to stay in the cheaper inns on the outskirts of the city.

One day, a father and his son were caught in a terrible storm. Because it was so late when they finally arrived in the city, they found that all the inns were full and had to find shelter in the pockmarked woman's house. The woman made them the dish now known as mapo tofu. It was so delicious that every time the father and son would visit Chengdu, they made it a point to stop by the woman's house. Soon, other people were coming to the house to taste the delicious dish.

Outside China, the dish is often adapted to suit the Western palate because of its spiciness. If you want to taste the authentic version of the dish, try a restaurant that specializes in Sichuan cuisine. Vegetarians can leave out the meat for a dish called “mala tofu.”

Sichuan pepper, an integral part of the dish, is available in Asian stores, although well-stocked supermarkets or groceries have begun to stock it on their shelves. It really gives the dish its characteristic flavor, so try and find Sichuan pepper if you can.

Try this recipe from Wikipedia and start enjoying the pockmarked woman's legacy.

Mapo tofu

Ingredients:

200g (7 oz) minced beef, pork
500g (1 lb) tofu, cubed
small piece of ginger, minced (about 2 tsp)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili bean paste
1-2 tsp crushed dried chili pepper
1 tbsp Szechuan pepper, roasted and ground
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 onion, sliced
3-4 green onions, cut into 2cm (1") pieces
1 tbsp rice wine

Method:

1. Sauté the onion with the ginger and crushed chili.

2. Add the minced meat and garlic, and fry until brown.

3. Mix in the other ingredients, lower heat, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

4. Serve over steamed jasmine rice.