An authentic Ratnagiri Alphonso mango is the Alphonso variety grown in Ratnagiri district and ripened naturally, not forced with carbide. AlphonsoMango.in sells it online by the dozen from Rs 1,849, sent by Blue Dart, with the 2027 season opening on 1 February 2027.
What makes a Ratnagiri Alphonso authentic
Ratnagiri Alphonso is the Alphonso mango grown in Ratnagiri district on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra. Alphonso from the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt is GI-tagged in India under GI No. 139. The tag protects the name; it does not replace your own judgement about a particular box. Authentic here means three plain things: the right variety, the right place, and honest handling after harvest.
We are Powle Home Foods in Mumbai, and we run AlphonsoMango.in. Our fruit is sourced across 48 villages of the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt, and we hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139). We have sold mangoes since 2019, online since 2020, and have served 47,000+ customers, including offline and marketplace sales.
The fruit has some well-documented traits. Alphonso fruits generally weigh 150 to 300 g, and the pulp is described as rich, creamy and non-fibrous. The variety is named after Afonso de Albuquerque, and mango grafting was introduced in Portuguese Goa by Jesuit missionaries. Because Indian-group mangoes are monoembryonic, Alphonso is propagated by grafting rather than from seed.
Hay-ripened or carbide-ripened: what differs
The most important handling question for any Alphonso is how it was ripened. Mature fruit can ripen by itself on a bed of hay over several days. Calcium carbide produces acetylene gas, which some traders have used to force ripening. Selling fruit ripened that way is prohibited 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.
| Point | Naturally ripened on hay beds | Ripened with calcium carbide |
|---|---|---|
| Ripening medium | Mature fruit is laid on hay beds and ripens by itself over several days. | Calcium carbide produces acetylene gas, which is used to force ripening. |
| Legality in India | Allowed. | Prohibited under Regulation 2.3.5 of the 2011 Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales Regulations. |
| Skin colour (rough clue, not proof) | Often uneven: green, gold and a blush can sit together on one fruit. | Colour alone cannot show how a fruit was ripened; an even bright yellow skin is only a rough clue. |
| Aroma (rough clue, not proof) | A sweet fruity smell, strongest near the stalk, builds as the fruit ripens. | Aroma can be weak when ripening is forced; this is a rough clue only. |
We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally on hay beds. No home test, including the bucket-of-water test, proves how a mango was ripened. The honest approach is to ask any seller, and to treat a vague answer as an answer.
From tree to box: harvest and packing
Our fruit is hand-harvested with a zela pole fitted with a catching net, so the mango does not fall. Harvest is done pre-dawn for all our Alphonso. Harvest to ripening takes about 15 days, which is why a box can arrive with some fruit firm and some soft.
We sort by fruit weight into grades, from 150 to 180 g up to 275 to 300 g each, and sell the grades by the dozen. A dozen weighs roughly 1.8 to 3.3 kg depending on grade. The reason to grade is practical: a box of even fruit ripens more evenly and a buyer knows what size to expect.
Alphonso can develop spongy tissue, an internal flesh disorder. ICAR-IIHR research traced it to the seed shifting into germination mode at about 60% fruit maturity. It cannot be seen from outside. We do not claim a method that removes it entirely. If a fruit is affected, report it with any other damage within 24 hours of delivery to support@alphonsomango.in or 8369048029.
Price and where to order
Ratnagiri Alphonso on the Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango page starts from Rs 1,849 per dozen, and the largest option there is Rs 5,399 for two dozen. The same variety from Devgad taluka in Sindhudurg district is on the Devgad Alphonso Mango page, also from Rs 1,849. We do not rank one above the other, and we do not quote a per-kg rate. 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. We do not promise a delivery day for any named city. Shipping is shown at checkout; the shipping charges guide explains it.
Alphonso 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 the Alphonso mango pulp tin (850 g and 3.1 kg, from Rs 590) is available all year.
Questions to put to any seller of Ratnagiri Alphonso
You do not need a laboratory to judge a seller. You need four questions, asked in writing so the answer is on record.
- Which district or taluka is the fruit from? A named place is an answer. "Konkan quality" is a description.
- How was it ripened, and over how many days? A specific method with a time frame is credible; silence is not.
- What is the fruit weight per piece and how many are in the box? Without both, two prices cannot be compared.
- Which licence and which GI number does the seller hold? For Alphonso the GI Authorised User number is a public record.
We answer all four on our product pages and on the Brand Facts page. We will not name or accuse other sellers; the questions do the work for you.
Keeping and eating the fruit
Leave firm mangoes in a single layer at room temperature, away from sun. Check each day for a sweet smell at the stalk and a slight give at the shoulder. Do not refrigerate firm fruit. Once ripe, eat within a day or two, or chill briefly. Cut fruit keeps for a day or two in a closed container in the fridge.
Our guides on ripening Alphonso at home and identifying an Alphonso mango go further.
People also ask
How do I order authentic Ratnagiri Alphonso mango online?
Choose a seller that names the district, states the ripening method and holds a food licence. On AlphonsoMango.in, open the Ratnagiri Alphonso page, pick the grade and number of dozens, enter your PIN code at checkout and pay. We dispatch by Blue Dart and show shipping before you pay.
Is Ratnagiri Alphonso ripened naturally?
Ours is. We do not use carbide, and our Alphonso mangoes ripen on hay beds. Calcium carbide is prohibited for ripening fruit in India under FSSAI Regulation 2.3.5. Because harvest to ripening takes about 15 days, a few firm mangoes in a box are normal. Ask any seller the same question.
What is the Ratnagiri Alphonso price per dozen?
Ratnagiri Alphonso starts from Rs 1,849 per dozen for fruit of 150 to 180 g each, rising with size to Rs 5,399 for two dozen of the largest grade. A dozen weighs roughly 1.8 to 3.3 kg depending on grade. Shipping is shown at checkout; check the product page for today's price.
Is Ratnagiri Alphonso the same as Devgad Alphonso?
Both are the same variety, Alphonso or Hapus, grown on the Konkan coast. Ratnagiri is a district; Devgad is a taluka in Sindhudurg district. They fall under the same GI, No. 139, and we do not rank one above the other. Buyers can choose by the name they know.
Related searches
- Ratnagiri vs Devgad Hapus explained
- How to identify carbide-ripened mangoes
- Artificial ripening of mangoes
- Ratnagiri Alphonso mango online
- Ratnagiri Alphonso mango price
- Alphonso mango GI tag
- Ratnagiri Alphonso mango product
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango.
- 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).
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare via PIB, FSSAI Alerts Fruit Traders to Ensure Compliance with Prohibition of Calcium Carbide in Fruit Ripening, 18 May 2024.
- 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.