The story
Mapo tofu is named after a Mrs Chen of Chengdu, nicknamed Chen Mapo, roughly pockmarked old woman. She and her husband ran a small eatery near the busy Wanfu bridge, opened in 1862 or 1874 depending on the account, and her simple dish of tofu, chilli, pork and Sichuan pepper drew steady crowds. Popular retellings make her a widow running the place alone. In the 1920s the restaurant's chef Xue Xiangshun refined the recipe, switching to beef and adding fermented black beans. The Chen Mapo restaurant still trades on her name, and the chef Chen Kenmin later made the dish a household favourite in Japan.
Also known as mapo doufu, 麻婆豆腐, pockmarked grandma's tofu, mabo dofu.
On the Meridish menu
Mapo tofu was the main course on menu No. 18 on October 18, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Silky tofu and minced beef in a fiery, numbing chilli-bean sauce, named after a pockmarked widow who served it at her eatery by a busy bridge in the 1860s.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
