alphonso

noun

al·​phon·​so al-ˈfän-(ˌ)zō 

variants or Alphonso

plural alphonsos or Alphonsos

: a small mango grown in India that has yellowish skin and bright orange flesh

a perfectly ripened Alphonso

Right now comes the mango most connoisseurs wait for: the alphonso, grown in the humid districts on the western coast.

—Steven R. Weisman, New York Times, 4 June 1986

… and, best of all, the alphonso with its melting, satiny flesh hinting of peach but also of pineapple, pear, and litchi.

—Margo True, Saveur, June 2005

Word History

Etymology

alteration (conformed to the name Alphonso) of Goan Portuguese (manga) affonsa, a variety of mango

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

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