Ang Alamat ng Lansones – The Legend of Lanzones

Lansones grow in clusters like grapes, and have clear, translucent flesh that hides bitter, inedible seeds.

The story goes like this:

Lansones is actually derived from the word lason, which is Tagalog for “poison.” There was once a time when the pale yellow globes lived up to their sinister name.

The cream-colored clusters were said to have originated from Paete, Laguna. They were so poisonous that even the ants on its branches died on the spot. But all that changed when a kindly old man named Mang Selo paused to rest under a shady tree while passing through the thick Paete forest on his way home one morning. He looked about for some nuts and berries to eat, but to his dismay, only the notorious lansones trees were nearby.

Faint from hunger, Mang Selo fell asleep and dreamt of a beautiful angel who plucked a fruit from the lansones tree for him to eat. Sensing his reluctance, the heavenly being pinched the tiny fruit to draw out the poison. Mang Selo awakened to find fruit peelings on the ground next to him. His curiosity and hunger soon overcame his fear of the lansones, and he cautiously peeled one and bit into it. His gamble paid off, and he ended up relishing the fruit’s sweet, refreshing taste. In gratitude to the angel who had saved him from hunger, he spread the word that the lansones was no longer poisonous, and that the brown spots on its skin were the fingerprints of the benevolent spirit who pinched the poison away.

References:
https://www.scribd.com/document/71378102/Alamat-ng-Lansones
Sta. Romana-Cruz, N. (1993). Why The Piña Has A Hundred Eyes And Other Philippine Folk Tales About Fruits. Makati, Philippines: Ilaw ng Tahanan Publishing.