Mapo doufu (Mapo tofu) (Chinese: 麻婆豆腐; pinyin: Mápó dòufu) is a popular Chinese dish from the Szechuan (Sichuan) province. It is a combination of tofu (bean curd) and minced meat, usually beef, in a spicy bean-based sauce, sometimes with other ingredients such as water chestnuts, onions or wood ear fungus. The name means "Pocked-Face Lady's Tofu," and is said to come from a (possibly fictional) food vendor by the name of Ma, who made and sold the dish. Another possible explanation stems from an alternate definition of 麻, meaning "numb": the Szechuan peppercorns used in the dish can slightly numb the diner's mouth.