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These dishes have been enjoyed in Japanese households for almost half a century! In Japanese grocery stores, you can find a whole array of convenient ready-to-eat sauces for these popular dishes. Thanks to Chef Chen, you’ll find a number of famous Chinese dishes such as mapo tofu, ebi chili (chili prawns エビチリ), and beef and bell pepper stir-fry (chin-jao ro-su 青椒肉絲) in Japan. He was the culinary hero that brought many popular Chinese dishes to the Chinese restaurants in Japan. I mentioned Chef Chen in my previous post here. How did the dish arrive in Japan you might wonder? It was introduced to Japan in the 1970s by Chen Kenmin, a famous Chinese chef in Japan.
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In Japan, mapo tofu is called mabo dofu and it’s written either as 麻婆豆腐 or マーボー豆腐 in Japanese. I’d say Japanese mapo tofu is ideal for anyone who is spice adverse and even your kids will devour it. If you’re looking for a not-spicy mapo tofu, this recipe is for you! Nevertheless, Japanese mapo tofu is still packed with lots of umami- thanks to the layering of flavors. While the Sichuan-style mapo tofu is known for its boldness and intensity, the Japanese version has a milder character as it has been adapted to the Japanese palate. The dish is spicy, aromatic, deeply flavorful, and has a unique numbing character imparted from the Sichuan peppercorns. The classic recipe is made with simmered silken tofu flavored with ground pork or beef, fermented bean paste (douban and douchi), chili oil, and Sichuan peppercorns. Mapo tofu is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan province known for its fiery bright red sauce. Difference between Chinese and Japanese Mapo Tofu.
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