https://www.recipetineats.com/mapo-tofu-mince-tofu-spicy-sauce Japanese Mapo Tofu vs Chinese Mapo tofu: The Japanese mapo tofu often contains a mix of sweet and spicy hot bean sauce. So looking at the ingredient list, my doubanjiang tube paste already has this mix of sweet + spicy. It originates from China in the Sichuan province, where the sauce is usually bright red, packed full of spicy heat and that deliciously “numbing” effect from Sichuan peppercorns . Japanese Mapo Tofu Recipe. Like other Sichuan dishes, it’s usually too spicy for me. Such a convenience! Master this recipe for delicious, authentic mapo tofu! Mapo Tofu Mapo tofu has its roots in China, but it's a dish that has become a staple in Japanese households and restaurants. Mapo tofu (sometimes written as 麻婆豆腐, mabo tofu or ma po doufu) is a mouthwatering dish consisting of tofu and minced meat cooked in a spicy sauce. This recipe uses a Japanese brand of doubanjiang (spicy hot bean sauce). The Chinese version typically does not contain the sweet bean sauce. Japanese-Chinese Cooking in Japan. Among the range of Chinese sauces packaged under CookDo, Mapo Tofu and Mapo Eggplant are the most popular choices. Mapo tofu is a popular Chinese dish that originated from Sichuan. Check out the ingredients and detailed step-by-step photos on the previous page. What is Japanese Style Mapo Tofu? You can use any favourite brand of Japanese-style (or even Chinese) hot bean sauce and adjust the seasonings to taste accordingly. It’s a saucy dish made of key ingredients such as minced pork, soft tofu and spicy chili bean sauce (doubanjiang). When Marumiya Food Industry and Ajinomoto released the vacuum-packaged Chinese sauces to the grocery shelves in the 1980s, they became the introduction of Chinese cooking to Japanese households.