Alphonso Aam - One Mango to Rule Them All

Rituparna

Alphonso Aam - One Mango to Rule Them All

Although mango or Mangifera indica is a proud native of India, its variant, the alphonso mango owes its origins to the Portuguese, who arrived in the 15th century. Presently, this variant remains an inhabitant of India, while also retaining a global reputation as the "king of mangoes"

The Alphonso Mango is hailed as the ' King of all Mangoes'. Image Source: The Economic Times

There's a reason why mango is the national fruit of India. Mangifera Indica, better known as mango, is one of the oldest fruits ever cultivated in India, making the fruit, indigenous to the subcontinent. But there's another reason why Indian mango remains one of the most popular varieties in the world. The Alphonso variant or ‘hapus’ has been regarded as one of the 'must try' things across the world. In general, mango is found in the typical summer months in many regions of India, but the Alphonso/hapus variant is found particularly in the western parts of India.

According to several sources, the alphonso mango from Ratnagiri, Maharashtra was a scene-stealer at the Queen of England, Elizabeth II's coronation ceremony in 1953. It was from this point onwards that the alphonso was supposedly hailed as the king of all the mangoes!

These mangoes were exported from the Crawford Market in South Mumbai, which is famous even today, for its wholesale products.

The Portuguese in the 15th century brought a Brazilian variety of Mango and tried to fuse it with the Indian variety through grafting (since India had an abundance of mango trees). The aim was to create a unique variety of the mango for export purposes that was firm yet tender and not the typical Indian ‘sucking’ kind with a soft pulp. After several attempts, the Portuguese could finally produce a ‘cultivar’, a name used for a plant variety often created artificially by humans. This was the famous alphonso mango that the world knows today.

Interestingly, the name Alphonso has quite a symbolic meaning. The name might sound quite familiar to some of us. A certain distinguished Portuguese gentleman went by the name Afonso de Albuquerque. He was the governor-general of the Portuguese empire in India between 1509-1515 and was known for his brilliant military skills. During his tenure, he captured Goa and Malacca and consolidated the Portuguese empire.

It was in the honour of Afonso de Albuquerque that the Portuguese planters named the Alphonso mango.

Truly, the other mangoes of the world may be bitter with jealousy but we as Indians have nothing but pride in our Alphonso. It is interesting to note that Alphonso, although is purely Indian, was actually introduced by the Europeans, much like several other things we love and are used to, today.

The Portuguese, who were the first Europeans to land in India, introduced the alphonso variant through an artificial vegetation process called grafting. Grafting involves the fusion of two different varieties of either flowers or fruits.

The upper part of one variety (scion) is fused with the lower end (rootstock/stock) of another to get the desirable characteristics of two different varieties of the same species of fruit or flower.

Grafting can be used to clone a rare variety of fruit or flower and enhance its chances of growth and survival, which otherwise may have been difficult. This horticultural practice is particularly beneficial in producing desirable and commercially valuable plants at a faster rate.

Today, the Alphonso variety is best grown in places like Ratnagiri, Devgad, Sindhudurg and other regions along the western coast. The bright, golden Alphonso rules nations with its sweet, creamy taste and pulpy, non-fibrous texture. It is also one of the most profitable export items of India, due to its high demand in parts of Europe, the USA and so on. We may or may not admire the Europeans but we are certainly a little grateful to the Portuguese for giving us the king of mangoes!

So, when the peak summer season approaches and your favourite Alphonso mangoes become available for you to enjoy raw or in shakes, barfi, ice-creams and falooda, be sure to remember the rich history of this magnificent fruit!