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When people hear tofu, I don’t think they think flavorful. Tofu on its own does have flavor, but it’s pretty subtle. As a kid, I don’t remember craving it and it’s something I’ve come to appreciate as I’ve gotten older. On a hot day, eating plain tofu with a sprinkle of scallions and a dash of soy sauce is quite refreshing. Then there’s agedashi tofu, oh so delicous. Agedashi tofu is fried tofu served in tsuyu (hot broth) and garnished with scallions and bonito flakes. There’s tons of other tofu dishes, but today I’m going to focus on mapo tofu or mabo tofu or mapo doufu. There’s a few different ways to spell it.

If you know what it is, you might be thinking – that’s a Chinese dish, which is true. But like many other popular dishes in Japan, the origins of the dish came from China, but over time it has evolved to fit the Japanese palate. The Japanese version uses miso for flavoring and although it can be spicy, it’s generally not as spicy as you would get a Chinese restaurant.

Mapo tofu is a great go-to easy dish. There’s not much prep involved and once you start cooking it doesn’t take too long. I start by cutting up the tofu into smaller pieces. I tend to like it in bigger chunks, so I go with the medium firmness, which prevents it from breaking into smaller pieces when I’m cooking it. So, the only way I know how to cut tofu is what my mom did, which I have no idea if it’s correct or not. I put the rectangular tofu on the palm of my hand, then cut the tofu while it rests on it. I am being careful and slow, but there’s got to be a safer way. Any thoughts?

I then brown the minced garlic and ginger in the pan before adding the ground pork, which I also brown. My favorite part is the amazing aroma that will fill your house as you brown the garlic and ginger. It smells so good! Once the garlic, ginger, and ground pork have browned, I add the miso flavoring, which I bring to a boil, then add the tofu. One thing I forgot to mention is that prior to adding the miso flavoring I season the ground pork, garlic, and ginger with cayenne. Normally, you would use Japanese dried red pepper, but since it’s not readily available in Cleveland I go with cayenne.

After the tofu is cooked, the only thing left is to add sesame oil and some scallions, then you’re done! Now, you can eat it just on it’s own, but it’s really amazing when you pour it over a bed of rice. But like I mentioned in a previous post, don’t skimp on the rice! Get a rice maker and make some good sticky rice, don’t use the stuff from a box.

For tofu skeptics, mapo tofu is a great dish. My husband doesn’t go out of his way to eat tofu, but he will get seconds and thirds of mapo tofu. There is one thing to keep in mind when eating this dish. Tofu does get super hot, so don’t go chowing down right away even though you want to. I have made this mistake several times. I’ve made it even worse by swallowing it when it’s piping hot and I’ve had that not so nice burning sensation going down my throat. Hot, hot, hot!