Tag: Sichuan

Mapo Tofu with Mushrooms

4 June 2026

The aromas and flavours of Mapo Tofu are powerful, also thanks to the use of Sichuan pepper. It gives the dish a floral, citrusy touch. The combination of silky, soft tofu with ground pork, Chili Bean sauce and scallions is very rich. It’s a delicious, heart-warming dish.
In this version we replace the meat with mushrooms (Wood Ear turned out to be the best choice, but Shiitake will also be fine). We think it’s a lighter, equally tasty but different, version of Mapo Tofu.

Sichuan pepper is not related to black pepper or chili. It’s actually not spicy. It causes a pleasant numbing sensation on your tongue and lips, for a few minutes only, which is surprisingly nice when eating spicy food. We recommend lightly toasting the peppers before grinding or crushing them.

Serving Mapo Tofu with rice is a great idea. Or enjoy it with some Bok Choy (Pak Choi) simmered in a combination of oyster and soy sauce.

Drink Pairing

Jasmine tea is an obvious choice. It has a nice aroma and floral taste. The combination with the spices and the Sichuan pepper works really well.

What You Need
  • 100 grams of fresh Wood Ear (or 25 grams dried Wood Ear)
  • 300 grams of Silken Tofu
  • 100 ml Vegetarian Stock
  • 2 tablespoons light Soy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Mirin
  • 3 teaspoons Sesame Oil
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 small Onion
  • 1 Scallions
  • 3 teaspoons of chopped Fresh Ginger
  • ½ -1 tablespoon Chili Bean Sauce (Douban, Toban-Djan)
  • 1-2 teaspoons Black Bean Sauce (Douchi)
  • 1 teaspoon of Red Sichuan Pepper
  • Oil
  • Cornstarch
  • Rice
  • Pickled Spicy Cucumber
What You Do
  1. Toast the Sichuan peppers lightly in a non-stick pan
  2. Remove the peppers from the pan and let cool
  3. Pre-heat your oven to 65 °C or 150 °F
  4. Cook the rice according to the instruction on the package
  5. Chop the onion, the garlic and the fresh ginger
  6. Slice the scallions and separate the white from the green
  7. Clean and slice the mushrooms
  8. Slice the tofu and make cubes (2 cm, 1 inch)
  9. Warm the stock
  10. Add oil to the pan and fry the mushrooms
  11. After a few minutes, add soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil
  12. Combine and leave to simmer for a few minutes
  13. Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven
  14. Grind the Sichuan peppers coarsely
  15. Add oil to the pan
  16. Fry the white part of the scallions, the onion, the garlic and the ginger
  17. Add the chili bean sauce and fry. Enjoy the aromas!
  18. Add half of the grounded Sichuan pepper
  19. Add the stock, the tofu, the mushrooms and the black bean sauce
  20. Use a spatula to mix
  21. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so until the sauce is nicely reduced and the flavours mixed
  22. In the meantime, finely crush the remaining Sichuan pepper
  23. Use cornstarch to create the right consistency
  24. Just before serving sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and the green of the scallions.
  25. Add spicy pickled cucumber to the rice
  26. Assemble and serve
Mapo Tofu with Mushrooms ©cadwu made with wood ear and Sichuan pepper
Mapo Tofu with Mushrooms ©cadwu

Duck Breast with Sichuan Pepper

7 October 2020

Why call something pepper when actually it is not hot and spicy like black pepper or chili? Perhaps because of the shape? The Chinese name is huā jiāo, meaning something like flower pepper. Actually it is a dried berry from western China. Other names are Szechuan Pepper, Chinese Prickly Ash, Mala Pepper et cetera. The quality may vary, depending on the actual species used. The taste has two components: the aroma of citrus and an intriguing tingling effect on the tongue.
The Sichuan cuisine combines it with chili pepper, star anise and ginger.

Wine Pairing

A cup of Jasmine Tea is an excellent choice. You could also go for white wine, for instance a German Riesling or Gewurztraminer. We decided to go for a Pinot Noir from La Cour Des Dames. In general you’re looking for a red wine with aromas of berries, floral notes and delicate wood. The tannins should be soft or well-integrated.

What You Need

  • Duck Breast
  • Sichuan Pepper
  • Light Soy Sauce
  • Normal Soy Sauce
  • Mirin
  • Chicken Stock
  • Corn Starch

What You Do

  1. Start by warming a non-stick frying pan
  2. Add the Sichuan pepper (we suggest one or two teaspoons)
  3. Gently roast the peppers until you can smell their lovely aroma
  4. Transfer the berries to a mortar and let cool
  5. Take the duck breast from the refrigerator, clean it if necessary and transfer to the now hot non-stick frying pan. By starting with cold meat, you will get the best result: crispy fat, a golden brown colour and seignant meat
  6. Fry the duck breast for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat, give it 10 more minutes on the fat-side and finish with 2 or 3 minutes on the meat-side
  7. Wrap the breast in foil, making sure the fat is not covered
  8. Crush half of the Sichuan peppers
  9. Add stock to the pan, soy sauce, crushed Sichuan pepper and a teaspoon of mirin
  10. Stir and add liquid from the duck
  11. The duck must rest for 10 minutes, so occasionally add liquid and stir the sauce
  12. Taste the sauce and adjust
  13. When ready, make the sauce thicker using corn starch
  14. Coarsely crush the remaining Sichuan peppe.
  15. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce
  16. Sprinkle the remaining Sichuan pepper on top of the meat.

We served the duck breast with a combination of stir fried (Chinese, napa or oxheart) cabbage, spring onion, chili pepper and sesame oil.

Duck Breast with Sichuan Pepper ©cadwu
Duck Breast with Sichuan Pepper ©cadwu