Mapo tofu is silken tofu in a sauce built from doubanjiang (fermented broad bean chilli paste), fermented black beans, ground pork or beef, Sichuan peppercorns, and stock, finished with sesame oil and optionally thickened with cornstarch.
The eight characteristics
Traditional Sichuan culinary training describes mapo tofu with eight qualities: má (numbing), là (spicy), tàng (hot), nèn (tender), xiān (fresh-tasting), xiāng (aromatic), sū (crisp — from the fried meat), and zhěng (whole — tofu cubes intact).
Texture handling
Silken tofu breaks easily. Simmer the sauce separately before adding tofu; then barely move the pan, swirling rather than stirring. The tofu should hold its cube shape into the bowl.