Mapo Tofu
A hot take with Clemens Gaiger on the "spiciness high"-inducing tofu dish.
Favorite Food interviews real people about their favorite food.
Mapo Tofu
With its fiery heat and capsaicin overload, mapo tofu gives Clemens Gaiger a new kind of a high — a “spiciness high”.
Formerly working in European politics, Clemens decided to switch careers and is now a police officer in Vienna, Austria.
Together at a Sichuan restaurant in Vienna, Clemens explains the delicate balance of mapo tofu and how this fiery dish can cause a flood of endorphins and dopamine, resulting in the “spiciness high” that keeps him coming back for more.
What's your favorite food and what is it?
Mapo tofu.
It’s a traditional Sichuan dish made with simmered medium-firm silken tofu flavoured with fermented bean paste, ground meat (usually pork or beef), plenty of red-hot roasted chili oil, red chili flakes, garlic, ginger, scallions, and a handful of Sichuan peppercorns.
Why is this your favorite food?
For me, mapo tofu beautifully bridges the gap between homely comfort and the amazement of exploring something foreign and unfamiliar. It is one of the few dishes that is deeply comforting and highly stimulating at the same time. And even though it tastes incredibly complex, it is - like all home cooking should be - surprisingly easy to make.
As I am passionate about spicy food, mapo tofu, with its conventional heat spiciness and characteristic “málà” numbing spiciness, is the perfect dish for me. The Sichuan peppercorns offer an exhilarating experience, creating that numbing, tingling sensation that's both addictive and invigorating. Then there's the heat, and I'm not just talking about spiciness - I'm talking about the kind of fiery heat that (thanks to all the Capsaicin) causes your brain to release endorphins and dopamine, which gives you a similar feeling to a “runner’s high”. I call it “spiciness high“, and I love it.
Describe the perfect mapo tofu.
The perfect mapo tofu is a dance of delicate silken tofu, fiery but balanced spice, and rich umami. The Sichuan peppercorns need to be in perfect balance – enough to tingle the senses, but not so much that it numbs the palate entirely. The heat should be intense, no doubt, but it should also have layers. The tofu and the sauce should embrace each other, intertwining and melding into a perfect union. And, of course, that finishing touch – fresh green onions, a sprinkle of vibrant life on the canvas. It adds a layer of freshness and a contrast to the heat.
And fear not, fellow vegetarians: even though ground meat is considered essential for the dish, I don’t need it at all. The fermented bean paste, together with garlic and roasted chili oil, provides more than enough depth and savoury richness.
Any interesting facts about mapo tofu?
Mapo tofu is - at least for me - the unsung hero of hangovers and a lifesaver when you're feeling under the weather. It's got this punch that will wake you up faster than a double shot of espresso. The Sichuan peppercorns are like a jolt of electricity, clearing all the evil from your hungover or sickly brain, while the fiery chili paste and red chili flakes are like a furnace for your insides. They'll warm you up, chase away the chills, and make you forget you were ever feeling poorly. It's the kind of heat that makes you sweat out those toxins and brings some much-needed relief to your body.
But that's not all. Tofu, the nurturing sidekick, offers a soft, soothing texture that's easy on the queasy stomach. It's like a comforting hug from your grandmother, making you feel loved and cared for when you need it most.
So, whether you're battling a wicked hangover or trying to fend off the flu, mapo tofu is your go-to dish.
"Ma" stands for mázi, 麻子, which means pockmarks. "Po" is the first syllable of pópo, 婆婆, which means an old woman or grandma. Hence, mápó is an old woman whose face is pockmarked. It is thus sometimes translated as "pockmarked grandma's beancurd". (source)
What’s one memory you have with mapo tofu?
When my now fiancée Victoria and I traveled through Japan, we tried a lot of amazing Japanese dishes. But what stuck with me the most - weirdly enough - was a small Sichuan restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Taking my first bite of the mapo tofu there, I was hit with an explosion of flavours. The silken tofu melted in my mouth, contrasting beautifully with the rich, umami-packed ground pork (which I still ate back then). But it was the heat that really got me. It started as a slow burn and then escalated into a wild crescendo that tingled on my taste buds and sent my senses into overdrive. With each bite, I could feel a rush of endorphins flooding my body - it was a “spiciness high” I rarely ever experienced again.
The mixture of being in one of the most interesting and amazing places on earth while eating great food with a loved one and experiencing a chili-induced euphoria at the same time is something I’ll never ever forget.
Where can I get the best mapo tofu?
As I live in Vienna I can only speak for my city. There are three traditional places if one wants to taste great mapo tofu:
Ostwind Restaurant in the 7th district (definitely the spiciest and numbing one),
Restaurant Chinazentrum in the 4th district right next to the Naschmarkt (very popular among the Chinese community in Vienna)
Restaurant Chilidorf in the 19th district (which delivers on its name if you dare to ask for it)
❤️ Thanks Clemens for your hot take on mapo tofu and for giving me a new life goal of experiencing a spiciness high.
