Chen Mapo Tofu from Tianfu, China is a famous dish known both at home and abroad. In the late Qing Dynasty, it was recorded as a famous food in Chengdu by "Overview of Sichuan Chengdu" and has been included in the book "Collection of Chinese Famous Dishes Sichuan" compiled by China and Japan. During the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty (1862), there was a Chen Xingsheng Restaurant next to Wanfu Bridge at the north gate of Chengdu. The chef was the owner's wife, Chen. The restaurant was originally a small restaurant that sold small dishes, meals and tea. Most of the diners were porters and other laborers who carried oil. These people often bought some tofu, scooped a ladle of clear oil from the basket and asked the boss's wife to process the tofu for them. The cooked tofu was spicy, hot and had a unique flavor. As time went by, the restaurant's fried tofu became famous far and wide. Gradually, fried tofu became the signature dish of this small restaurant. The tofu cooked by Chen was carefully selected and cooked with great care. The tofu is made of gypsum tofu, which is tender and fragrant. The beef should be lean meat without tendons. The chili powder is made of Chengdu Erjintiao chili, which is fried and dried, and pounded finely. The pepper is made of Qingxi pepper produced in Hanyuan, and the vegetable oil is the second layer of oil in the jar. There are also particularities in cooking. The beef is finely chopped and fried in hot oil until crispy. The tofu is cut into four squares and simmered three times with refined salt and fresh soup to keep it fresh. The bean curd, chili powder, fermented black beans, and minced garlic are fried and made into oil soup. The diced tofu is put into the oil soup and thickened with green garlic sprouts. When it is served, it is sprinkled with fragrant pepper powder. The tofu cooked by Chen soon became famous, and people flocked to it. Poets and writers often met here. Some people saw the pockmarks on Chen's face and joked that it was "Mapo Tofu", which spread like wildfire and became a good story. The restaurant was named "Chen Mapo Tofu" because of the dish. Chen Mapo and her husband had no children. After their death, their daughter Lu Chen and son-in-law Lu Xizhi inherited their business. After Lu Chen's death, her son Lu Shiquan inherited the restaurant business. Lu Shiquan died and his wife Chen succeeded him. This was the third generation of Chen Mapo. Lu Chen had no children, and her daughter Qing inherited her business. The four generations of management were all run by women. After transformation in 1956, Chen Mapo Tofu Shop became a state-owned enterprise and was affiliated to Chengdu Catering Company, Sichuan Province. Chen Mapo Tofu Shop had no signboard at first, and diners were identified by Chen's pockmarked face. Later, due to the booming business and abundant financial resources, they had the awareness of famous store signs. In the 1960s, they invited Mr. Yu Zhongying, a famous Sichuan calligrapher, to write the signboard of "Chen Mapo Tofu". The base was made of raw lacquer, and the horizontal plaque was decorated with gold characters. The red silk was hung on it to make the shop shine. After years of development, the restaurant has developed a variety of tofu dishes, such as bear paw tofu, three-fresh tofu, water chestnut tofu, pot-sticker tofu, pocket tofu, etc. It has also launched tofu banquets and medicinal tofu, which are very popular among diners. "Chen Mapo Tofu" is famous at home and abroad, known as a "world-class famous dish", and has been recorded in the history of "Chinese famous dishes". It enjoys a high reputation in Chengdu and is often full of guests. In 2006, it was listed in the first "Top 100 Brand Value List of Chinese Time-honored Brands". Information source: Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center Information source: Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center