Alphonso mangoes yet?

[chloe103]

I live in the west end, and don't want to travel out to Little India until I know for sure. Are the mangoes ripe and available yet??

-----
Little India
255 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V1Z4, CA

[blinknoodle]

Have the authentic Alphonsos been spotted yet?

[soytoy]

I bought a case in Little India for $24, and they were spectacular! So glad I finally tried this variety.

[foodyDudey]

Yes they have. I bought boxes for the past two weeks. Thre last one was quite good, I ate the last two yesterday.

[Tatai]

Just bought a couple of cases of Alphonsos at Kohinoor Foods on Gerrard @ $23 per case of 12. Just ate my first one and it's delicious. The merchant said the season will last another 3 to 4 weeks. He also said the Alphonso season will be followed by Pakistani mangoes, which he claims are even better. Anyone know anything about them?

[foodyDudey]

I just returned from Kohinoor with a case and the two I ate were not very good. I hope the rest are better. I usually buy them from this store.

Pakistanis will tell you that their mangoes are better than Alphonsos but I don't share that view. I guess it's partially what you grow up with. And partially because Alphonsos are better.

[caitlink]

I tried both alphonso and pakistani mangoes last year. I definitely prefer alphonsos better. Very rich but refreshing. I found the pakistani mangoes too 'strong' tasting and the aphonsos just right.

[soytoy]

Hmmm... yet another variety of mango I simply must try this season!

[gimel]

Got a case of 12 for $20 at Om India Food Centre (dufferin/centre st) - they don't look as good as last year's, but they taste as good as they should. They let you pick and choose the best fruit from a few boxes.

Anyone have reports on that mango home delivery service (buymangoes.ca)? I tried to use them last year but found them rather disorganized and nothing got delivered. This year it looks like Alphonsos are off their list, but they claim to be delivering Sindrhi, Dusehri, Chausa and Anwar Ratole as of "the last week of May".

[lyndak]

thanks for the tip! it's in my 'hood so now I'll finally have an opportunity to try them!

[Jed Clampet]

FreshCo has them advertised in their weekly (May 27) flyer for 8.99 for a case of 6.

[piccola]

That sounds good -- I don't think I could eat 12 on my own before they went bad.

[Jed Clampet]

I just checked them out at FreshCo at Gerrard/Vic Park. They were way past prime (rotten to be precise). Maybe they'll get more in. And they are indeed Alphonso mangos.

[warlock]

Every year we have Chowhounders spotting Ataulfos and reporting it back as Alphonsos.

A couple of things here

1.Asian grocery stores do not sell Alphonsos. Its the Indian/Pakistani grocery stores that carry them

2. Alphonsos don't sell for less than $18 a case. So if you see it for $11.99 or $10.99,it is Ataulfos and not Alphonsos.

[soytoy]

Thanks for the info. I've never tried Alphonso mangoes before, and I am dying to this year.

[Brennius]

Amen to warlock's advice.
Just a heads-up: if you go to K&K on Spadina at Dundas, they'll try to tell you that the Ataulfos are Alphonsos. (K&K otherwise has nice Asian fruit.)

[placebo]

Sunny Foodmart on Don Mills had a skid of them at $8.99 a case on Thursday. They had none left on Saturday.

[foodyDudey]

Are you absolutely sure that they were ALPHONSO mangoes? That is less than half what they normally cost.

[placebo]

Small yellow ones, tapering with a bit of a curve away from the stem end? They were labeled as alphonso.

[childofthestorm]

Sounds like Ataulfos to me. Sorry but chances are incredibly slim those were Alphonsos, that's just way too cheap a price.

[grandgourmand]

The curve placebo is talking about is more distinctive in the Ataulfos. The alphonsos are pretty round.

[hal2010]

Placebo here. (Somehow logged in under an account I forgot I even had over the weekend)

I looked up some images and they were definitely mislabeled Ataulfos.

[TOjim]

I just picked up a case at Toronto Cash and Carry on Gerrard East. They were a little larger than those from Kohinoor that i got last weekend..and they were better. Seemed they were in a different packers box ( orange not green) and that may have made the difference. Wow...sure love mango mania!

[g.m.]

alphonso mangoes are at Kohinoor on Gerrard St. E. @ 26.00 case.

[foodyDudey]

I talked to my cousin in India and he says there are no good ones available there yet as the season just started. It would be better to wait a few weeks, the prices should drop also.

[childofthestorm]

Saw them a few days ago in Little India but the store owner said wait a couple of weeks, the early ones are not great. In two weeks we'll get the best ones from the height of the season.

[Pigurd]

tried a few already, but they have all been terrible tasting... hoping bettter in a few weeks

[pnutbutta]

Not sure where you are in the west end, but you are sure to find ripe and readily available mangos at any Indian grocery store. There are many in the Mississauga/Brampton area. They are often sold for a better price by the box. Here are two favorites:

Asian Grocers (McLaughin+Ceremonial)

Golden Groceries (Malton, close to Derry+Goreway)

Golden Groceries (McLaughin+Steeles)

[caitlink]

They usually come in box of 10 or 12, correct?
how much should I expect to pay - the ones i bought are similar to the altufo (?) ones you get at chinese supermarket in size - and I think I paid $19 last year for a box of alphonso
Not sure if i paid the 'right' price

[wontonfm]

On Gerrard they are usually more for a case (about 12 mangoes) ... probably around $25 if I remember correctly. I paid about $19.99 for a box from BestWin on Don Mills.

WON
http://whatsonmyplate.net

[placebo]

I saw cases of them at Sunny Foodmart on Don Mills 2 weeks ago.