Mango is the king of fruit. As a tropical country, we in India have variety of mangoes growing seasonally. Mangoes like Kesar, Rajapuri, Vanraj, Totapuri, Jamadar and Alphonso are few among them. Have you ever wondered which mango is the king among mangoes? Yes, it is the Indian’s all time favourite Alphonso mango, the king of mangoes. The mango also has a history of its origin connected to the foreign invaders in India.
It is through Alfonso De Albuquerque, the Portuguese military general the mango Alphonso got its name. Alfonso De Albuquerque, practiced ‘Colombian food exchange’ through which new verities of food were introduced to the world. So, is the origin of Alphonso mango too. As per the research “Mango through Millenia” by the agricultural Scientist Y. L. Nene, ‘Indian traditional type of mangoes were sucking type mangoes’.
Early colonial period, Portuguese had their settlement made in India and had conquered Goa. The Portuguese who were experts in Navy were trading the mangoes to Europe. It is the grafting technique by the Portuguese which lead to the origin of mangoes which got their own viceroy’s name.
The king of mangoes, Alphonso weighs between 150 and 300 grams is harvested from mid April. The mango which is known for its taste, fragrance and a vibrant colour is best among the mangoes in India.