Gateway to Gastronomy: Mapo Tofu

I moved to Canada from China when I was four and I’ve maybe had “Chinese food” a handful of times. The first time I had it, confusion would be the best descriptor of my experience.

“What’s Orange Chicken?” And “This isn’t the Kung Pao Chicken I remember.”

Over the years, I’ve come to have a love-hate relationship with Americanized Chinese food. Yes, it tastes good, but I can’t help wondering whether this is what people think of when they hear “Chinese food.” I wish they could try real Chinese food.

In my house, a dish enjoyed during gatherings and holidays is Mapo Tofu, a popular dish from Sichuan Province (although enjoyed elsewhere as well). It can be quite complicated, with numerous amounts of spices, but can be made really simple. Furthermore, it is perfect for a cold Edmonton winter day, especially after shovelling the driveway. Enjoy this dish on rice or by itself.

Ingredients:

Optional:

Fun Fact: While most people are familiar with soy sauce, the one you see at most Asian restaurants is light soy sauce, meant for flavouring. Dark soy sauce can also be used to flavour dishes, but is more important in giving dishes their rich, dark colour.

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan, add the ground meat of your choice with some neutral oil or nonstick spray. Usually, my family uses pork, but chicken and beef also work. 
2. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the meat until most of the juices have evaporated and the meat has browned.
3. While the meat is cooking, finely chop the garlic and ginger. Drain and cut the tofu into cubes, roughly one cm in size.
4. Add the garlic and the ginger into the meat once it is finished cooking, along with the Sichuan hotpot base or Chinese chili oil with peppercorns. Although you can also make this from scratch, it is easier to buy the pre-made base and it tastes about the same. 
5. On medium-high heat, cook until fragrant.
6. Add the cubed tofu into the pan and gently stir with a spatula.
7. Stir tofu until thoroughly mixed into the base and then add two tablespoons of dark soy sauce. Add the wood ear mushrooms and gently stir.
8. Let simmer for five minutes.
9. Taste and add salt to liking.

That’s all! Enjoy a bowl of delicious Mapo Tofu the next time you crave some Chinese food. And feel free to customize. You can add potatoes, carrots, squash, and much, much more.