Aamrai is the Hindi and Marathi word for a mango grove, so aamrai mangoes are fruit from such groves. In Konkan that usually means Alphonso, called Hapus. We source ours across 48 villages of the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt and sell them online.
You can compare boxes and sizes in our Ratnagiri Alphonso mango boxes.
What is an aamrai? Meaning of aamrai mangoes
Aam means mango. An aamrai, also spelled amrai or aamarai, is the grove where the trees stand. When someone searches for aamrai mangoes, they usually mean fruit that comes straight from a grove rather than from a market stall or a distant wholesaler. People also type "aamrai in English", and the plain translation is mango orchard or mango grove.
The word is used across north and west India, so you will hear it well beyond the coast. In Konkan it points to a plot of grafted Alphonso trees, and the fruit from such plots reaches buyers through local traders and sellers like us who grade, pack and ship it.
This page explains the term, the Konkan groves that matter for Alphonso, how fruit from them is ripened, and how to buy it. We are Powle Home Foods, based in Mumbai, and we run AlphonsoMango.in. We sell Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso, and we explain what we can say about our own supply chain and no more.
Aamrai, aamras and Alphonso: three words that get mixed up
A lot of the confusion comes from three similar-sounding words. The table sorts them out.
| Word | What it means | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|
| Aamrai | A mango grove or orchard. | Villages, farm talk, search queries about groves. |
| Aamras | Mango pulp served as a dish, usually with puri or roti. | Lunch tables in Maharashtra and Gujarat in the mango season. |
| Alphonso (Hapus) | A mango variety from the Konkan belt. | Boxes, GI paperwork and gift orders. |
So an aamrai can produce Alphonso, and Alphonso can be turned into aamras. If you want the dish without waiting for the season, our ready-to-use Alphonso pulp is available all year, and our aamras recipe shows how to serve it.
Konkan groves and the Alphonso belt
Konkan is the strip of the western coast of India between the Arabian Sea and the Deccan Plateau. Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are among its districts. Ratnagiri is a district, and Devgad is a taluka in Sindhudurg district. Alphonso from this belt carries a Geographical Indication tag, GI No. 139.
Named mango varieties such as Alphonso are propagated by grafting, because mango cultivars of the Indian group are monoembryonic and do not come true from seed. That is why a grove is planted tree by tree from grafts rather than from stones. A ripe Alphonso usually weighs 150 to 300 g, and its pulp is described as rich, creamy and non-fibrous.
We source across 48 villages of the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt. Our fruit is hand-harvested with a zela pole fitted with a catching net, so it is cut and caught rather than shaken down. Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso are the same variety, and we do not rank one above the other. Our guide to Ratnagiri and Devgad Hapus covers the places in more detail, and Alphonso, the jewel of Konkan tells the wider story.
How fruit from the groves is ripened
Mature fruit leaves the tree firm and green. It then needs several days to soften and sweeten, and how that happens matters. Wikipedia puts the time from harvest to ripening of Alphonso at about 15 days, which is why rushing it shows in the taste.
We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally on hay beds. Calcium carbide is prohibited for ripening fruit in India under Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. Ethylene up to 100 ppm is the permitted alternative. We are an FSSAI-licensed seller, and you can read our licence and certificate details on our AlphonsoMango.in brand facts.
No single look or smell proves how a mango was ripened. A bucket-of-water test is only a rough clue, not proof. Ask any seller how the fruit was ripened and where it grew. If you want a longer checklist, read our guide on spotting carbide-ripened mangoes.
Aamrai mango season
Alphonso is harvested about February to June, and the best supply runs from March to May. The 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027. Outside the season fresh Alphonso is not sold by us, because the trees give one crop a year. Alphonso pulp tins are available all year if you want the flavour in the meantime.
- February and March: first fruit and smaller quantities.
- April and May: the broadest supply and choice of grade.
- June: the tail of the season as stocks wind down.
Our mango season guide lists the months in more detail.
Buying aamrai Alphonso online
Online buying works best when you know what to ask. Whoever you buy from, ask which variety it is, which place it comes from, how it was ripened, and whether the seller holds a food licence. For Alphonso, ask for the GI paperwork too. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139), and our fruit is sold from the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt. Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso sell from Rs 1,849 per dozen, and a dozen weighs roughly 1.8 to 3.3 kg depending on grade. Check the product page for today's price.
We dispatch by Blue Dart, and about 65% of Indian PIN codes get next-day delivery. Check your PIN code at checkout. If a box arrives damaged, report it within 24 hours of delivery. We have served 47,000+ customers, including offline and marketplace sales.
You can open the Ratnagiri Alphonso page or the Devgad Alphonso page for sizes and prices, or browse the mango collection. Fresh Alphonso shows as unavailable until the season opens.
After the box arrives
Fruit from a grove is usually sent firm and finishes softening at your place. Keep the mangoes at room temperature, away from direct sun, and let them soften in their own time. Do not refrigerate unripe fruit, because cold slows ripening and can dull the flavour. Once a mango is soft and fragrant near the stalk, eat it or chill it for a short while. Cut fruit keeps best in a closed container in the fridge.
Ripe pulp also freezes well for later. If you plan to make aamras, mango milk or kulfi, our guide to ripening Alphonso at home explains the timing.
People also ask
What does aamrai mean in English?
Aamrai means a mango grove or mango orchard. Aam is the word for mango, and the aamrai is the plot of trees. Aamrai mangoes are therefore fruit grown in such a grove. Do not confuse it with aamras, which is mango pulp served as a dish.
Is aamrai the same as aamras?
No. Aamrai is the grove where mango trees grow, while aamras is the sweet dish made from ripe mango pulp. The two words sound alike, which causes the mix-up. An Alphonso grove can supply the fruit, and a pulp tin can supply the pulp for aamras all year round.
When is the aamrai mango season?
Alphonso from the Konkan groves is harvested about February to June, with the best supply from March to May. The 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027. Outside the season we do not sell fresh Alphonso, but Alphonso pulp tins are available all year.
Where can I buy Alphonso from Konkan groves online?
You can order Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso from AlphonsoMango.in, where fruit is sourced across 48 villages of the belt. Fresh boxes sell from Rs 1,849 per dozen once the season opens. Check your PIN code at checkout, because delivery is by Blue Dart and varies by area.
Related searches
- Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso compared
- Aamrai guide for Konkan groves
- How Alphonso mango season works
- Alphonso GI tag explained
- Aamras recipe with mango pulp
- Buy Alphonso mango pulp tin
- Browse all mangoes
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango.
- Wikipedia, Konkan.
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, Regulation 2.3.5 (compendium version of 2 April 2025).
- Geographical Indications Registry of India, public search record for application 379, Devgad Alphonso Mango (merged with application 139), accessed October 2026.
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.
