Alphonso is a variety of mango (Mangifera indica) known as Hapus in Marathi. It is grown on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, with Ratnagiri and Devgad the best-known names. Its flesh is deep orange, sweet and almost fibre-free, and the fresh season runs about February to June.
What is Alphonso mango?
Alphonso is a cultivar of Mangifera indica, the common mango tree. Wikipedia describes it as one of the most popular mangoes in India and says it is exported to many countries. In Maharashtra people call it Hapus. Buyers look for it because of its deep orange flesh, its sweet taste, its strong fragrance and a texture that many describe as smooth and creamy.
Like any fruit, the exact taste varies with the season, the orchard and how ripe the fruit is when you eat it. We grow nothing ourselves. We source Alphonso from farming families across 48 villages in the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt of the Konkan, and we sell it online as Powle Home Foods. This page explains what the name means, so that you can judge for yourself when you buy.
Hapus, Aapus, Afus and other names
One fruit travels under many spellings. Marathi speakers say Hapus, and you will also see Aapus, Aapoos or Hafoos. Hindi speakers sometimes write Afus Aam or Hapus Aam. In English the fruit is Alphonso, and in shops you may also see the words Ratnagiri Hapus and Devgad Hapus. They all point to the same variety, with the place name telling you where the fruit grew. Our short guide on the Marathi name Hapus Amba explains the local words.
Origin and the name
Wikipedia says the fruit is named after Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese general who helped establish Portuguese rule in Goa in the early sixteenth century. The popular account is that the Portuguese brought grafting methods to the region, which helped good trees be copied reliably. We cite this as the common explanation, not as something we can prove. If you want the wider story of the mango as a fruit, read why it is called the king of fruits.
Look, taste and size
- Skin: thin and smooth. A ripe fruit shows gold with a blush near the shoulder, though colour alone is a poor test of ripeness.
- Flesh: deep orange, soft, and almost free of fibre, which is why it suits aamras and milkshakes.
- Smell: sweet and fruity, strongest at the stalk end of a ripe fruit.
- Size: a dozen Alphonso weighs roughly 1.8 to 3.3 kg depending on the size you pick, so single fruits are small to medium.
Taste is personal, and we would rather you try a box than take our word for it. A fully ripe fruit is sweet with a soft, fragrant finish.
Where Alphonso grows
Alphonso is grown in parts of western and southern India, but the Konkan coast of Maharashtra is the region most buyers have in mind. Within it, Ratnagiri and Devgad are the names you will see most often. The Konkan sits between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, and the coastal setting is part of why the area is linked with this fruit. Wikipedia has a page on the Konkan region if you want the geography.
Our own fruit comes from the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt. If you would like to choose between the two, see our pages on Ratnagiri Hapus and the product pages for Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango and Devgad Alphonso Mango.
The GI tag and real Alphonso
A Geographical Indication, or GI, tells you that a product is linked to a place. Alphonso mango has GI No. 139, and only registered authorised users can sell fruit as GI Alphonso. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139). When you buy Hapus from any seller, a fair question is: what is your certificate number, and where does the fruit come from?
Because the name Alphonso is so well known, it is sometimes used loosely. Our guides on how to identify Alphonso mango and how to identify authentic Hapus mango list what to check and what to ask.
How Alphonso is ripened
Alphonso is picked mature but firm and finishes ripening after harvest. We hand-harvest with a zela pole fitted with a catching net, and all our Alphonso is harvested at Brahma Muhurta, the pre-dawn hours. 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, while ethylene up to 100 ppm is permitted. If you receive firm fruit, our guide to ripening Alphonso shows how to finish it at home.
Season
Fresh Alphonso is harvested about February to June, with the best supply from March to May. The 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027. Outside those months we do not sell fresh Alphonso, so be careful with any seller who offers it far outside the season. Between seasons you can still buy Alphonso pulp tins, available all year. See our mango season guide for the wider picture.
How people eat Alphonso
- Fresh: chilled slices or cubes, the simplest way to judge the fruit.
- Aamras: pressed pulp served with puri or chapati. See our aamras recipe.
- Drinks and desserts: lassi, milkshakes and ice cream.
- From a tin: the Alphonso Mango Pulp Tin comes in 850 g and 3.1 kg sizes, from Rs 590.
Alphonso and other mangoes
India grows many varieties, and Alphonso is one choice among them. Kesar, from Gujarat, is another well-loved mango with its own taste and season, and Pairi is another favourite in western India. Each suits different tastes and uses. Our guide on how many mango varieties there are in India is a good place to start comparing. We sell Kesar from Rs 999 per box and Pairi at Rs 2,799 for a dozen, alongside Alphonso. For the full overview, read Alphonso, the king of fruits explained.
Buying Alphonso online
We started selling offline in 2019 and online in 2020, and we have served more than 47,000 customers, including offline and marketplace buyers. We are an FSSAI-licensed seller. Fruit is dispatched by Blue Dart, and about 65% of PIN codes receive next-day delivery. Alphonso starts from Rs 1,849 per dozen, rising to Rs 5,399 for the largest Ratnagiri option and Rs 10,499 for the largest listing on the order-online page, so check the product page for the exact price before you buy.
Browse the mangoes collection, or read about us on our Brand Facts page.
Fresh Alphonso is not sold outside the season; Alphonso pulp tins are available all year.
People also ask
What is Alphonso mango?
Alphonso is a variety of mango (Mangifera indica), called Hapus in Marathi. It is grown on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, with Ratnagiri and Devgad the best-known names. The flesh is deep orange, sweet and almost free of fibre, and the fresh season runs about February to June.
Why is Alphonso called the king of mangoes?
The title is popular rather than official. Buyers praise Alphonso for its orange flesh, sweet taste, fragrance and smooth texture, and it is one of the most popular mangoes in India and an export favourite. Whether it is the best is a matter of taste, so try it and decide.
What is the meaning of Hapus?
Hapus is the Marathi name for Alphonso mango. You will also see it written as Aapus, Aapoos, Hafoos, or Afus Aam in Hindi. They all refer to the same variety. The English name Alphonso is said to come from Afonso de Albuquerque, a Portuguese general who helped establish Portuguese rule in Goa.
Where is Alphonso mango grown?
Alphonso grows in parts of western and southern India, but the Konkan coast of Maharashtra is the region most linked with it. Ratnagiri and Devgad are the best-known districts. Our fruit comes from 48 villages in that belt. Ask any seller where the fruit grew and for the GI certificate number.
How do I know I am buying real Alphonso?
Ask the seller for the district the fruit came from and for the GI Authorised User certificate number. Our certificate is AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139). Also ask how the fruit was ripened, and be careful with fresh Alphonso offered far outside the February to June season.
Related searches
- Alphonso, the king of fruits explained
- How to identify Alphonso mango
- How to identify authentic Hapus mango
- Hapus mango in Ratnagiri
- Mango season in India
- Hapus Amba in Marathi
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango, accessed October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Konkan, accessed October 2026.
- GI Registry of India, Application 379, Devgad Alphonso Mango (merged with application 139), accessed October 2026.
- 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), accessed October 2026.
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.