Mapo tofu with fermented black beans (Má pó dòufu) from The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family (page 250) by Bill Leung and Kaitlin Leung and Judy Leung and Sarah Leung

  • toasted sesame oil
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  • Sichuan peppercorns
    Dried berries of Xanthoxylum species plants. Although there is a Xanthoxylum fagara, it is native to Florida and Caribbean, and not used in Chinese cuisine. Buy Now
  • Show all ingredients...
  • Serves : 4

  • EYB Comments

    Can substitute soft tofu for silken tofu. You may use the Ultimate chili oil recipe on p. 275.

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: "Sour spicy" napa cabbage salad (Liángbàn suān là báicài); Dry-fried green beans (Gān biān sìjì dòu)

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Can substitute soft tofu for silken tofu. You may use the Ultimate chili oil recipe on p. 275.

  • shelbstirr on January 24, 2026

    I’ve made this three times in the last few months, becoming one of my favorite recipes. It’s very comforting. Silken tofu is important, if you use firm the texture isn’t as good. I’ve made it with both ground pork and ground turkey.

  • JimCampbell on November 08, 2024

    This was good. We scaled back on the spice. We used bean sauce in place of spicy bean sauce, went closer to the 1 teaspoon side for Sichuan pepper, and used one heaping tablespoon of chili oil in place of a 1/4 cup. The spice was about right for us. One thing we noticed was just a bit of a bitter note. Not certain what attributed to it. We left a comment on the Woks of Life website to see if they have insight. We would make it again.

  • katryna on January 16, 2024

    Gave the fermented black beans thorough rinses and also chopped them up a bit which helped keep the flavor from overpowering any bites. The pork velveting technique was effective but I think I prefer non-velveted pork to contrast with the soft tofu. Prefer the classic version from the Woks of Life website but this was still quite tasty.

  • pomona on December 20, 2023

    Yum and very easy.

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