Mapo Tofu

[ouch]

I think I get more aroma and sensation from it than flavor per se. But I think that works well when you are using other spices. It adds a really unique depth to the dish.

That exactly mirrors my experience.

It's also very easy to make your own five spice powder, a weird but interesting blend of star anise, fennel seed, clove, cinammon, and sichuan peppercorn.

 

[pdillon]

Oh man, I love mapo tofu! It is my favorite Chinese dish. When I was in college at Penn there was a food truck called Yue Kee that made outstanding mapo tofu (not to mention pork belly, Singapore noodles, and I think something they called Beijing noodles... kind of like mapo tofu over noodles, almost like a spaghetti Bolognese). Thanks for sharing and I hope people are encouraged to try this wonderful dish.

Personally I find Sichuan peppercorns to have a very distinctive taste. I have not used them that much, but I've found it difficult to get the right amount. Too much and it overwhelms the dish, not enough and it contributes little.

Sichuan peppercorns can sometimes be a little tough to find in Asian grocery stores if you don't know what you're looking for. I finally managed to find them by pulling up a picture on my phone and going through all the bags of spices until I found a match. On the bag it was called "prickly ash."

 

[The Nid Hog]

That exactly mirrors my experience.

It's also very easy to make your own five spice powder, a weird but interesting blend of star anise, fennel seed, clove, cinammon, and sichuan peppercorn.

We bought way too much cinnamon over the holidays, and I have a bunch of star anise left over from something or other, so I'll give this a try.

 

[YetiDave]

Once you've made your five spice I'd give char siu pork a shot