I’ve been hearing about the infamous Alphonso Mango for years. It’s a variety from India that people go crazy for and say is the best mango ever. A bold statement, I know. They are super expensive, have a short shelf life and a short season (April to May) and people go CRAZY for them.
A post popped up recently on the Toronto Chowhound boards singing the praises of the Alphonso. I thought they were talking about Ataulfo mangoes initially but was corrected 
I then became OBSESSED with securing me some Alphonsos.
I grew up eating mangoes. The variety most commonly found in supermarkets here are the Tommy Atkins mango which is not great. Sure, I’ll eat them but they are not my fave. The flavour can be weak, they don’t ripen properly and boy are they stringy. You need some serious dental floss to eat a Tommy Atkins mango. I recently discovered the Ataulfo mango and that has been my mango of choice for the past few years. The flesh is silky and delicious and they ripen well. I usually by a bunch of them in Chinatown – last year I was eating about 6 a week! Dangerous. I also enjoy a Jamaican variety whose name I don’t know but it tends to be expensive.
To secure my Alphonso mangoes I had to head out to Little India in Toronto (Coxwell and Gerrard) to a store called Kohinoor. They had about 8 cases of mangoes – and by the caseload is the only way to buy them. A case is $24.99 which consists of 12 mangoes. The shop clerks were really funny. As soon as they saw me poking around they started singing the praises of the Alphonso explaining that they are imported from India and that they are the best in the world. All of this I knew but when I saw the gleam in their eyes I knew I had to take the plunge. I carefully inspected each mango in the box and set home.
As soon as I walked in the door I had to crack open my first mango. AMAZING. Not to sound like everyone else but it’s like no other mango I’ve ever tasted. It tastes like the mangoiest mango with a dash of mango perfume. It’s really a feast for the senses. Not only is the taste amazing but the whiff that you get as you bring the mango to your mouth is heavenly. The inside colour was so vibrant it was almost shocking especially since the outside didn’t give a hint of being too ripe. I could have eaten half the box in one sitting but I managed to limit myself to one. My aim is to eat 2 a day otherwise they will go bad.
I wouldn’t buy these mangoes often mainly because I have to trek across town to find them and because of the price. I also wish that they were available past May because I would love to consume these during the hot summer months but you can’t have it all I suppose.
Here’s a great article from the New York Times.
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You would do well to visit http://www.buygiftstoindia.com. The site sells fresh alphonso mangoes for doorstep delivery to anywhere in the world. You have a chance to savour an alphonso agaon.
Dear Sir,
we are the Manufacturer and supplier of Alphonso MANGO having own gardens at Devgadh, Maharashtra….
We can supply you directly to you and reasonable price….
for PENINSULA EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Anil Dudwadkar
Mumbai, India
cell No. /
email :