Sichuan Mapo Tofu, plus a (hopefully educational) look at the CIA Textbook's version (麻婆豆腐)

Summary by Krater

The host compares a standard westernized mapo tofu recipe from a cookbook against an authentic Sichuan version, demonstrating how westernized variations often use too many vegetables and alter traditional cooking methods.

From the video

Answers: How does authentic mapo tofu compare to westernized recipes and how can I make it better?

• mapo tofu recipe comparison
• authentic Sichuan cooking
• westernized vs authentic Chinese cuisine
• tofu prep and blanching
• Sichuan peppercorn and chili bean paste

Ingredients

• 500 g soft tofu
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 450 g firm tofu
• 175 C peanut oil
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 in minced ginger
• 2 tbsp chili flakes
• 1 tbsp Douchi black fermented beans
• 1 cup stock
• 1 stalk green garlic
• 3 tbsp Pixian doubanjiang
• null snow peas
• null red bell pepper
• null bean sprouts
• null Shiitake mushrooms
• null cilantro
• null vegetable oyster sauce
• null chili powder
• null Sichuan peppercorn powder
• 80 g ground beef
• 6 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Liaojiu Shaoxing wine
• 1/4 tsp MSG
• 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
• 1/2 tbsp roasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water

What it concludes

• Westernized recipes for mapo tofu tend to use too many vegetables and deviate from authentic Sichuan preparation standards.
• Blanching tofu cubes in salted water helps remove grasy taste and firms them up.
• Using minced douchi instead of whole black beans and choosing a good brand of doubanjiang like Jian Cheng Pai improves flavor.
• Westernized mapo tofu recipes often call for too much beef and too many disparate vegetables that fail to come together as a unified dish.