“Ma po” might be translated something like “crater-faced old woman,” and it refers to the originator of the dish, who suffered from smallpox as a child, leaving her disfigured. She lived in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan, over 100 years ago. 

The old lady, Mrs Chen, ran a restaurant called Chen Mapo Doufu Restaurant (a restaurant by the same name exists today). Located near Wanfu Bridge in north Chengdu, Mrs Chen’s restaurant became famous for her unique approach to tofu. The sharp contrast of colour and taste delighted labourers, poets, and others who gathered at the restaurant. And its popularity spread.

After Mr Chen died, Mrs Chen ran Chen Xing Sheng Restaurant in north Chengdu. Labourers would rest under the nearby Wanfu Bridge. To save money, the labourers would bring their own oil, tofu, and beef, and would ask Mrs. Chen to cook for them. Mrs Chen made do with what was given her, adding in green onions, chilli bean paste, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger, and other flavours. Her mapo tofu recipe soon became famous. 

Because of the pockmarks on her face, the old lady lived outside Chengdu as an outcast. One stormy night, a businessman needed accommodation. Happy to have a guest, the old lady made a dish of grilled tofu and minced pork. The flavour swept the traveller off his feet, and he spread the word to others in Chengdu. From there, mapo doufu became a household dish in the region.