6 easy steps to identify a real Alphonso mango

Alphonso Mango, the king of mangoes, is a royal fruit, which makes it extremely precious and exquisite. This leads to millions of mango lovers crave for it, creating such a massive demand that Alphonso mango growers struggle to keep up.
This creates an ideal breeding ground for opportunistic and unscrupulous folks. In order to cash in on the demand for Alphonso mangoes, they pass off other varieties of mangoes as Alphonso mangoes. However, it is the Alphonso mango lover who ends up with a short stick as these mangoes come nowhere close to Alphonso mango in terms of aroma, taste and juiciness.
There have also been instances of some greedy Alphonso mango growers selling prematurely plucked Alphonso mangoes so as to make the most of the early season high prices. However, plucking a mango prematurely can be very detrimental to its taste and doesn't let it achieve its full glory.

These are the instances that tarnish the image of the real and succulent Alphonso mangoes and bring a bad name to the honest Alphonso Mango growers from Konkan. Both the farmers and consumers are at the receiving end of this deceit as the farmer doesn't get the right price for his produce nor does the consumer get value for this money.
We, as Alphonso mango growers ourselves, take this as our responsibility to educate our esteemed Alphonso mango lovers on how to identify a real Alphonso mango from a fake one.

Color: Alphonso mangoes, especially those from Ratnagiri, have organish-yellow colour when ripe. Alphonso mangoes, those traditionally ripened by placing them in hay stacks, have very distinct colour from those that are chemically-ripened mangoes (using harmful chemicals like Carbide etc). The ones chemically ripened have a bright, uniform yellow color at the surface.

Smell: Alphonso mangoes are highly aromatic in nature. They have a particular sweetish fragrance distinct from other mangoes. The mesmerizing aroma of a ripe, authentic Alphonso mango is strong enough to fill the entire room in which it is placed. It is important to note that chemically-ripened mangoes don’t produce such a noticeable aroma and fragrance.

Texture: Freshly ripened Alphonso mangoes have a delicate texture and a soft and a smooth outer skin. On the contrary, chemically-ripened, fake variety have a too hard a texture and you can feel its hardness without an effort. These mangoes are usually unripe from inside even though the skin colour is yellowish. If an Alphonso mango has over-riped, you would see wrinkles on its surface suggesting its taste has started to go downhill.

Pulp: It won't be an exaggeration to say Alphonso mango lovers just can’t get enough of the pulp inside. After all, the king of mangoes has a unique pulp. The middle layer is distinctively fleshy, compared to other varieties. Alphonso mangoes are least fibrous, unlike the varieties which pretend to resemble the premier fruit. The pulp/flesh of a naturally ripened Alphonso is generally organish-yellow.

Shape: This is an important factor which can actually help a mango lover identify a real Alphonso mango from a fake one prior to the purchase. The famous mangoes of Ratnagiri are oval in shape. Those mangoes which taper at the bottom are not real Alphonso mangoes.

Size: Yet another important distinguishing feature. Alphonso mangoes are usually of a medium size. Their weight ranges from 160 grams to 330 grams. A real Alphonso mangoes can easily fit in the palm of an adult hand.

So the next time you go to the market to buy Alphonso mangoes just keep in mind the above 6 characteristics and then you should be good. An easy way to remember them is

Champion    Sachin    Tendulkar    Played    Superb    Stroke   🏏

 An even easier way is to just order them here from Mangoes4U and get it delivered to your home and be rest assured that you will only get the best quality, premium and authentic Alphonso mangoes straight from our mango orchards.

A point definitely worth mentioning here; the honourable Government of India realized the problem of fake Alphonso mangoes hurting the interests of genuine and honest Alphonso mango growers from Konkan and it took steps in the right direction.
On October 5, 2018, The Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India released a notification, where Alphonso Mango was granted the GI (Geographical Indication) tag.
The press release said

”Alphonso from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts of Maharashtra, is registered as Geographical Indication (GI). A Geographical Indication or a GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality. Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi Sarees and TirupatiLaddus are some of the GIs.”

This GI tag has immensely helped the farmers who, with sheer determination and perseverance, grow a heavenly fruit like the Alphonso mango.
Now, sellers may face legal charges if found manipulating the real identity of Alphonso mango and using it to market the fake ones, because it is a fraud against innocent consumers.
We sincerely this proves as a strong deterrent to fraudulent practices and mango lovers can get to enjoy the real Alphonso mango. 

Hope you have enjoyed reading this article and are now better informed.
If you have already started drooling thinking about sweet, luscious and juicy mangoes you can now order for yourself premium quality and best mangoes online at Mangoes4U.
Also if you would like to read similar interesting articles in future do not forget to subscribe to our free newsletter at the bottom or follow me on Quora

Happy Reading!
Varun