This was attributed to the typical weather conditions and soil characteristics in the geographical region of Devgad. The planted grafts survived and produced Alphonso mangoes that tasted very different from mangoes of the Ratnagiri region. Growers uprooted existing trees of other species that had grown in cracks on the laterite rock and planted Alphonso grafts in its place. As Devgad is majorly hard laterite rock below (termed as jambha dagad locally), it was difficult to plant the grafts. In the early 90’s, growers brought grafts from Ratnagiri to Devgad for experimentation. The distinctiveness comes from the geographical conditions of Devgad as the same is not observed in other varieties grown elsewhere. The Devgad Alphonso gained distinctiveness and favorable characteristics like the pleasant fruity smell, no fiber, extremely aromatic and sweet taste, becoming popular among buyers. From Goa, the Alphonso mango traveled to different places like Ratnagiri, other Konkan region and southern side of India as well. Our aim is to bring alive the many stories that make India and get our readers access to the best research and work being done on the subject.The Alphonso mango is a foreign fruit that came to India through Goa along with Alfonso De Albuquerque, the Portuguese explorer and military strategist who led many Portuguese invasions in the 1600s. Now that is quite a treat! – ABOUT LIVE HISTORY INDIA Live History India is a first of its kind digital platform aimed at helping you Rediscover the many facets and layers of India’s great history and cultural legacy. The US famously struck a trade deal with India in 2007, for the export of these mangoes in exchange for their Harley Davidson bikes. Today, Alphonso mangoes are still very popular and exported around the world. Interestingly, Alphonso mangoes were named after Alfonso de Albuquerque (1453-1515 CE), the man who conquered Goa, usurping it from the Bijapur Sultanate in 1510 CE and establishing a vast Portuguese maritime empire that stretched from Hormuz in Oman to Java and Sumatra He was even conferred the title of the ‘ Duke of Goa’ by the Portuguese kings, owing to his exploits. While Alphonso mango is grown across Western India, as per popular belief, the one from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra is considered to be of the best quality.Īlfonso de Albuquerque | Wikimedia Commons The grafting activity soon extended to other Portuguese-controlled areas like Ratnagiri and Karwar, with the cultivation of Alphonso mangoes spreading to these regions. While many of these varieties are now lost, the Alphonso thrives in popularity. According to Dr Nene, it were the Jesuit priests who first began experimenting and grafting on Mango plants in Goa between 15 CE.ĭuring this time, a large variety of fruits emerged and they were distinguished by their Portuguese names like Alphonso, Peres, Rebello, Fernandina, Phillipina, Peres, Antonio and others. However, when the Portuguese began exporting mangoes to Europe, they wanted one that could be served on the table, basically firmer varieties of mangoes that could be sent back home. Indians preferred those varieties, with their soft pulp, that could be squeezed by hand and sucked out. As per Dr Nene, the traditional varieties of mangoes in India were what he called ‘s ucking’ type of mangoes. There are some very interesting perspectives shared by the renowned Agricultural Scientist Dr YL Nene in the research paper ‘ Mango through Millennia ,’ published in The Journal of Asian Agri-History 2001. Sadly, due to the lack of academic research, we know very little about the early history of Alphonso mangoes. Pulp of an Alphonso Mango | Flickr Creative Commons
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |