Alphonso Mangos 2009

[moh]

Anyone seen these babies here in Montreal? There is a thread on the TO/Ontario board saying they are able to get them on Gerrard Street already. I'll be in the neighbourhood next week, so I can check then, but I was wondering if anyone has already seen them.

Must have mango....

[Andria]

Hmm... I don't really know all the types we get here in Mtl., but the Alphonso Mango certainly looks like the ones I picked up at Adonis on the West Island last week-end to make my mango salad. I believe those were labeld Ataulfo mango. What is the difference?

[carswell]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/513160?tag=highlight-3736290;post-content-3736290#3736290 (as well as other posts in that thread)

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/406999?tag=highlight-2628636;post-content-2628636#2628636

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonso_(mango) [Chowhound's software doesn't like terminal parentheses, so you'll need to add one to the URL for the link to work]

http://books.google.com/books?id=Qzs8OX-54QQC&pg=PA52&dq=Tommy+Atkins+mango&lr=&ei=E7ROSMP8KpyMjAHI_JXlDQ&sig=pVc117JHyLW-O-z5YuIjrU8P22s#PPA4,M1

http://books.google.com/books?id=Qzs8...

I find alphonsos have an unmatched creamy texture and heady fragrance. The flavour is intense and can be somewhat wilder/funkier than that of ataulfos, even to the point of being too much of a good thing.

[moh]

Yes, I love ataulfo mangoes, but the alphonso mango is different. They are over the top in mango flavour, almost perfumed, they are very powerful.

[cherylmtl]

I think it's a little early for Alphonsos - they are usually around from May into June - of course, had I known they possibly had them on Gerrard Street, I would have checked when I was there last week...

[moh]

EEEP! Sent hubby by Marche Victoria Oriental on Victoria - they have been getting Alphonsos for 4 weeks now, and only anticipate getting them for another 3 weeks or so!!!

They are sold out this week, but will have them next Thursday. We did manage to snag some, $20 a box, so they are more expensive by a lot this year. We tasted one, still wonderful, but the mangos are smaller that last year, and the one we had was slightly fibrous. Perhaps the others will be better.

[BLM]

It depends on what time of the year you get the alphonsos(from my experience). I got one of the earlier boxes of alphonso at Marche Victoria Oriental last year, & all they look like mini-alphonsos. Several weeks later, all the alphonsos at Marche Victoria Oriental were much bigger.

[moh]

I hope we'll see them bigger then!

There was a comment on the Ontario board that they found them a bit smaller this year too, so I was wondering if it was also the season.

I didn't find out if they have Kessars. But they are carrying a Haitian variety as well, the ?Francis? I have not yet had the pleasure of trying this one.

[BLM]

The ones I got later in the season last year, were almost twice as big. I was told then by the Marche Victoria Oriental people, that they bigger later in the season.

[BLM]

I saw the Alphonso mangoes posting on the Ontario board, when it first appeared. I didn't rush to find it in Montreal, for the reasons I explained above.

[bomobob]

I was in Akhavan (NDG) on Tuesday, and they said they would have them in late this week or early next week. I have not verified yet.