Myth and Legends

The Lanzones Fruit

During the early times, there grew a certain big tree by the roadside in a barrio in the province of Pangasinan. No one really owned that big tree which they referred to as lanzones tree.

But anyone who happened to pass by the tree would stop for a while to enjoy watching it’s delicious-looking cluster of fruits that hangs from it’s branches like whole bunch of grapes. But no one stayed any longer than necessary for the fruits were thought to be poisonous since a number of death have been reportedly linked to it.

One day, there came to that particular barrio an old beggar. He had no children, wife, nor any close kin to support him. He just kept wandering from place to place and depended solely on begging as his only means of livelihood.

Because of the hard time in the area, he found himself repeatedly turned down by the townspeople. Finally, he thought to try his luck once more as he neared the large house. It was past noon and he was extremely hungry buy that time.

Unfortunately, there was nobody around the big house, he felt disappointed. He started walking away with a sad heart, slowly inching her away out of the gate of the house across which stood the lanzones tree.

As he raised his eyes he saw to his relief the shade of the tree below where he could seek cover against the heat of the sun. As he got under the shade, he looked up again at the sun partially hidden by the thick leafy branches of the tree.

As he did, he saw the clusters of fruits and one bunch that hung low within his reach. Hungry as he was, he quickly snatched a handful of them and begun peeling it’s skin and swallowing the pulp bits down her throat, unaware it was poisonous.

A few minutes later she began to feel dizzy and fainted on the ground. He never regained consciousness and died instantly on the spot that had everyone believed he must be poisoned.

Not long after the reported death of the old beggar, there came a man to that part of the barrio no one had ever seen him before, nor did anyone know where he came from. He would appear out of nowhere some late afternoon for a stroll around the barrio.

He had a handsome face and body. He became the subject of everyone’s curiosity in town, so that wherever he went, everyone would follow him all around. One time, he happened to stop by the roadside right in front of the lanzones tree.

At once, he beamed with smiles when he saw the cluster of lanzones and started to pick the fruits. He was quickly warn by the town folk that recently an old beggar died after eating the fruits of the tree. But the man brushed aside their fears claiming that they are not poisonous at all if one know how to eat lanzones properly.

He assured the people that nothing would ever happened to him after eating the lanzones. Then, in front of everybody, he demonstrated the proper way of picking the fruits and removing it’s skin. Having done, so he ate it’s white and sweet meat, but he was careful not to swallow the green seed found inside each pulp bit that he threw away later.

Since nothing bad really happened to him, the people began to believe in what he said about the lanzones. Soon everyone was trying to be first at picking the fruit and eating it. Nothing happened to the man nor to the people who ate lanzones that day, nor the next day, which helped dispel any fear that the lanzones is poisonous as claimed earlier.

Not long afterwards, the handsome man disappeared and was never heard or seen again that had the townspeople believe he must been a deity who came to mingle with them. The people further believe that it was he, by the stroke of magic, removed the poison originally found in the lanzones fruits so everyone could enjoy it’s fruits.

Since then the Pangasinan folks learned to eat lanzones. Many of them even started to plant the tree in their backyards. Today, one can see for himself the groves of lanzones trees planted everywhere in the province. Later, the fruit was sold and distributed to many parts of the country. Much later, it was exported to many countries as well.