Hapus is the Marathi name for the Alphonso mango, so hapus and Alphonso are the same variety. The name Alphonso honours Afonso de Albuquerque, and the fruit we sell grows on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, in the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt.
What hapus means
Hapus (also written hapoos, hafoos or aaphoos) is the Marathi name for the Alphonso mango. People along the Konkan coast, and in Mumbai, say "hapus" or "hapus amba" where others say "Alphonso". The word is generally understood as the local form of the English name, though we would not claim to have settled the linguistics. What matters for a buyer is simple: hapus is a mango variety, not a grade or a brand.
You will also see hapus described as "the king of mangoes" in marketing. We prefer to say what the fruit is. It is a variety with a rich, creamy, non-fibrous pulp, and a single fruit generally weighs 150 to 300 g. For the many spellings and the Hindi names, our page on Alphonso aam and hapoos aam lists them side by side, and our page on Ratnagiri hafoos covers the Ratnagiri fruit in particular.
Hapus and Alphonso are the same
Many people search for the difference between hapus and Alphonso. There is none in the variety. Hapus is the Marathi name, Alphonso is the English one. What can differ is the place the fruit is grown, the way it is ripened and what a seller means by the label, because mangoes sold as Alphonso are also grown outside the Konkan.
| Point | Hapus | Alphonso |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Marathi and Konkan usage | English and trade usage |
| Variety | Alphonso | Alphonso |
| Place of growing | Not decided by the name | Not decided by the name |
| GI claim | Applies to Konkan-grown fruit (GI No. 139) | Applies to Konkan-grown fruit (GI No. 139) |
So if a label says "Alphonso" or "hapus" and nothing else, ask where it was grown and for the seller's GI Authorised User certificate number. A name alone is not paperwork.
Origin and the Portuguese link
Mangoes have been grown in the Indian subcontinent for a very long time. The Alphonso variety is named after Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese commander. Mango grafting was introduced in Portuguese Goa by Jesuit missionaries, and grafting is how named varieties like Alphonso are propagated. Mango cultivars of the Indian group are monoembryonic, so a seed does not reliably produce a copy of its parent tree.
We cannot tell you the exact route by which the variety reached the Ratnagiri and Devgad orchards, and accounts differ. We trust the parts that are well documented: the naming, the grafting link to Goa and the long cultivation on the Konkan coast. For the wider history, read our Alphonso mango origin story and the explanation of why mango is called the king of fruits.
Why the Konkan matters
The Konkan is a stretch 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. Both grow the same Alphonso, and we do not rank one above the other.
Our fruit is sourced across 48 villages of the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt. The reason people seek out this belt is mostly reputation and the GI, not a lab test we can show you. We would rather say that than repeat claims about soil chemistry that we cannot support. If you want to see who grows for us, visit the Our Farmers page.
The GI tag for hapus
Alphonso from the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt is GI-tagged in India (GI No. 139). A Geographical Indication ties a product name to a place. The GI Registry's public record for application 379, Devgad Alphonso Mango, shows it merged with application 139. A law-firm article from 2018 lists the related applications and the Konkan districts concerned: Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Raigad.
The right to use the GI belongs to registered users. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139), and you can read the details on our Brand Facts page. A GI is an origin statement and not a promise about taste, so it is one question among several to ask any seller. Our Alphonso mango GI tag guide goes deeper.
Our hapus: harvest and ripening
We harvest before dawn, at Brahma Muhurta, and the fruit is hand-harvested with a zela pole fitted with a catching net. 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.
From harvest to ripe fruit usually takes about 15 days for Alphonso in general, so a box can arrive with some fruit still firm. Leave firm fruit at room temperature until it softens and smells sweet near the stalk, then refrigerate ripe fruit for a couple of days. Our guide on how to ripen mangoes at home has the steps.
Season and buying
Alphonso is harvested from about February to June, and supply is best 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, from Rs 590 for the 850 g tin. See the Alphonso Mango Pulp Tin.
- Fresh Alphonso starts from Rs 1,849 per dozen. The largest Ratnagiri option goes up to Rs 5,399. A dozen weighs roughly 1.8 to 3.3 kg depending on grade. Check the product page for the current price.
- Choose Ratnagiri Alphonso mango or Devgad Alphonso mango.
- We dispatch by Blue Dart, and about 65% of Indian PIN codes get next-day delivery. Check your PIN code at checkout.
Our mango season guide lists the months in more detail.
People also ask
What does hapus mean?
Hapus is the Marathi name for the Alphonso mango. It is not a grade or a brand but the local name of a variety, also written hapoos or hafoos. People on the Konkan coast and in Mumbai say hapus where others say Alphonso, and they mean the same fruit.
Is Alphonso the same as hapus?
Yes. Hapus and Alphonso are two names for one variety. The label alone does not tell you where the fruit was grown, because Alphonso is also grown outside the Konkan. Ask the seller for the place of origin and their GI Authorised User certificate number if origin matters to you.
What do we call hapus mango in English?
In English, hapus is called the Alphonso mango. The name is said to honour Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese commander, and grafting was introduced in Portuguese Goa by Jesuit missionaries. You may also see the spellings hapoos and hafoos on shop labels.
Is mango originally from India?
Mango has been grown in the Indian subcontinent for a very long time, and India produces roughly 43% of the world's mangoes (a figure from FAO data that also includes mangosteens and guavas), about 26 million tonnes in 2023. The Alphonso variety is named after a Portuguese commander.
What is the GI number for hapus mango?
Alphonso from the Konkan belt is registered under GI No. 139. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139). The right to use the GI belongs to registered users, so it is fair to ask any seller for their certificate number.
Related searches
- Alphonso aam and hapoos aam names
- Ratnagiri hafoos
- Alphonso mango GI tag
- Alphonso mango origin story
- Types of mangoes
- Buy Ratnagiri hapus online
- Buy Devgad hapus online
- Alphonso mango season
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango.
- Wikipedia, Konkan.
- Geographical Indications Registry of India, public search record for application 379, Devgad Alphonso Mango (merged with application 139), accessed October 2026.
- S.S. Rana & Co., Mangoes from Konkan region of Maharashtra will be known as Hapus (2 May 2018).
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.