Wang Spicy Mabo Tofu Sauce, 4.58 Ounce

I love ma po tofu from chinese restaurants. I have to say that this gets somewhat close to the flavor. It's missing some depth and richness but for a stir in pack that is heat and serve, it's not bad. I prefer the mild one as I think the hot one, the heat overpowers some of the good flavor. I bought a 4 pack of the hot version thinking it would be closer to the heat of ma po tofu at restaurants and i'd like it just as much as the mild, but i don't. Wish I had ordered more of the mild but now I know. It looks like it has bits of meat in it but I'm pretty sure that is textured soy. U should use somewhat firm tofu for this, not silken. I tried silken and the tofu just disintigrates into the sauce. I was trying to replicate the soft nature of the tofu chinese restaurants use. Better to stick with medium firm.

I like this product over Marumi sauce. This sauce is a little spicer/hotter side that I really like. This sauce does not have too much flavor so that I can taste tofu or meat well.

I am ready to buying 3rd time. It's really hot and yammy !!

Taste is very good and makes for a quick easy meal. I purchased the mild and it was a lot spicier than expected.

One of the best!

Traditional ma po tofu is a Szechuan dish consisting of tofu and beef or pork simmered in a sauce made with fermented black beans, broad beans, chilis, and seasonings including Szechuan peppercorns, which give it the characteristic “ma la” numbing sensation. The Korean version is a bit different, as it uses black pepper instead of Szechuan peppercorn, and other traditional Korean seasonings like sesame oil. This mix isn’t a lot like either traditional Chinese or Korean versions of the dish. It’s a tomato based sauce, with red pepper, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and a few other ingredients.The instructions suggest adding bell pepper, onion, or green onion. I added chopped green onion, and as I didn’t have any bell pepper, I added a bit of frozen green peas to give it some color. I considered adding meat, but I wanted to taste the dish as is. For the tofu, I used silken, which it closest to what would be used in China or Korea. Most Americans (and American-Chinese restaurants) typically use firm tofu in cooking. That’s fine, but it lends a very different texture and flavor to the dish. I cut up the tofu and simmered it for a few minutes in boiling water to remove the grassy flavor. This isn’t in the instructions, but it’s common in Chinese cooking, and it does improve things. Also, rather than just heating the sauce and tofu it for three minutes as the instructions direct, I simmered it for 20 while the rice cooked, to allow the flavors to blend.Result: It’s not bad. I’d go so far as to call it tasty, although it tastes nothing like either traditional Szechuan Ma Po Tofu or the Korean version. It’s more like school cafeteria Ma Po Tofu. Again, there’s nothing objectionable about the flavor; it’s just that there’s nothing very distinctive or interesting about it. I do t taste the sesame oil, or the garlic. Maybe a few ounces of ground pork, along with some hot pepper oil and Szechuan peppercorn would give it some more zip, but if you’re going to do that, you may as well start from scratch.

In my family, we do a vegan or vegetarian day most weeks, and my biggest complaint is that eating tofu or the like is just never quite as enjoyable as eating meat. We do it for health reasons and for the environmental benefits. Nevertheless, I always want to find ways to improve the flavor and make it more exciting. This sauce packs a serious punch. It says "mild hot" on the packaging, which is misleading. I'm a seasoned eater of very spicy foods. When I order wings, I get the hottest or close to the hottest available. When I get Thai food, I order it Thai hot. This was definitely not too much for me, but it left my wife sweating. I was even surprised by the kick it packed. I used it according to the recipe on the box, but I served it over some stir-fry noodles with vegetables. The whole thing turned out delicious. But if you don't like heat, definitely give a different heat level a try instead.

I used it as seasoning for a beef, pepper, and ramen noodle dish. There isn't a lot in the packet, but it is thickish, and it provided plenty of flavor. Has a little kick for "mild". I think this volume makes for a good, light coating. Then again, I tend to prepare a lot of food. But just know that you will likely use all of it at once, and that if you use a lot of food and want it dripping in sauce, then go for two packs. Otherwise one is plenty to flavor up whatever you are making. I like the convenience of it, and with it being in a slim box, it just fits better in my over stuffed pantry than another bottle would.I like they offer this in a single pack, OR a pack of 4. Allows one to try a single one out, but if you like it there is cost savings on the larger pack--which is what I will get next time. I like this sauce.