Alphonso Mango
The Alphonso Mango is the Best in the World
The Alphonso mango, named after Afonso De Albuquerque, is grown in parts of India and is considered to be one of the best, if not the best, mango in the world. De Albuquerque carried it with him on his many travels to Goa in India and it was eventually transplanted there. He was a Portuguese explorer and military strategist who led many Portuguese invasions in the 1600s.
In Konkani, the residents called the mango Aphoos and in Maharashtra it became Hapoos. The finest quality Alphonso mango is grown in the southern part of Ratnagiri and the south northern regions--Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, including Devgad and Taluka. The Alphonso mango is also grown in Pune, the southern regions of Valsad amd Navsari, which are in Gujarat state, and in the Amalsad region of India. The Alphonso mango grown in the Kokan region of Maharashrea and in Devgad is the most expensive and these are considered the elite among Alphonsos.
The Alphonso mango weighs around 10 ounces and is yellow in color with a pinkish tinge. It is approximately five to six inches long, and is said to have a very sweet aroma and taste. Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. In April 2007, the first Alphonso mangos arrived in the United States after a ban of eighteen years. This became possible because of a trade agreement President Bush signed in 2007. Other countries also followed suit and now the Alphonso mango is exported to several countries when it is in season between April and June. The fruit is a bit pricey--online it sells for $238 U.S. for two dozen.
The Alphonso mango is often grown organically which also allows it to command a greater price. The Alphonso mango tree is usually grown by grafts obtained from other producers. It takes five years before a mango tree begins producing so there is an initial layout of cash needed to get started. A typical Alphonso mango orchard will produce enough income in the fifth year to pay for the expenses of the first five years. After that a good profit can be made, increasing every year as the tree produces more and more mangos. A five-year-old tree may produce seventy fruits but by the time an Alphonso mango tree reaches thirty years old, it could be producing 2500 mangos each season.
As the American consumer becomes more health conscious, the market for mangos and other such fruit is growing. The enzymes in a mango help with our digestive process, and its large amount of fiber (40% if our daily requirement) can lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease, as well as other degenerative diseases.
If you love mangos, you might want to give the Alphonso mango try. It can be obtained online at several Indian orchard websites.