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Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Name: Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
Prep time: 12 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb soft tofu, cubed; 6 oz ground pork; 2 tbsp doubanjiang; 1 tbsp fermented black beans; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp ginger, minced; 1 cup chicken broth; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 2 scallions, sliced; 1 tsp sesame oil

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) reads umami 7.9, salinity 5.2 and richness 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese main, about 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 8.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 1.7 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.0 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.9 · Salinity 5.2 · Richness 4.7 · Funk & Ferment 4.3 · Allium 4.1 · Heat 3.3 · Nutty 3.0 · Warm Spice 2.6 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Earthy 1.8 · Sourness 1.7 · Sweetness 1.6 · Floral 1.1 · Bitterness 0.9

What's in it (12)

1 lb soft tofu, cubed
6 oz ground pork
2 tbsp doubanjiang
1 tbsp fermented black beans
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 scallions, sliced
1 tsp sesame oil

Time & effort: about 20 min (12 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 109.9 kcal, 10.5 g protein, 6.6 g fat, 3.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Brown ground meat in oil, then add doubanjiang, garlic, ginger, and fermented black beans and fry until the oil turns red.
Pour in broth and gently add cubed tofu, simmering until the tofu absorbs the flavors.
Thicken with a cornstarch slurry and finish with ground Sichuan peppercorns and scallions.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Gamjatang (감자탕) — Korean
Water-Boiled Beef (Shui Zhu Niu Rou) — Chinese · Sichuan
Gyoza (餃子) — Japanese
Gingery Vegetable Wonton Soup — Chinese-American
Gochujang-Glazed Pork Tenderloin — Korean

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.