Longganisa’s links to Spain Longganisa traces its roots to Spain, where longaniza is a long, pork sausage seasoned with

paprika, cinnamon, aniseed, garlic and vinegar. It is sold fresh and must be cooked. It’s not to be confused with chorizo,
which is mostly fermented, smoked or cured, then sliced and eaten with no cooking required, or added to flavor a
variety of dishes. At the height of the Spanish empire, longaniza traveled far and wide — not just to the Philippines but
across the Americas, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.
Over the course of several centuries, the defining characteristics of the original Spanish longaniza changed, with
different interpretations emerging from region to region, and from country to country. The Filipino longganisa tradition
appears to have emerged by way of Acapulco, presumably around the time Juan de Salcedo, a Spanish conquistador
who was born and raised in Mexico, founded Manila. An irresistible historical tidbit: his grandfather, Miguel López de
Legazpi, founded the first Spanish settlements in the archipelago. For centuries, Manila was a key stop in the Spanish
trading network that included Lima in Peru and Panama, but served as a spoke of Mexico rather than a hub of empire. It
is no surprise, then, that in some parts of the Philippines, as in Mexico, the word recado refers to condiments or
seasoning. In the Philippines, it’s also used to distinguish the spicy version of longganisa from the sweet kind commonly
known as hamonado. In Spain, however, the word “recado” has nothing to do with flavor or cooking, and simply means
“message” or “errand”. Filipino longganisa, finally There is no standard recipe for the Filipino longganisa, and its
preparation has always been been open to both local creativity and inter-generational innovation. You can try improving
on your great-grandmother’s recipe, for example, with a slight change in how much garlic you throw in. Most sausage-
makers will also confess to just winging it and flavoring the meat on instinct, improvising with a range of locally available
spices. The result? A wide assortment of varying flavors and textures. There are, however, broad categories that are
useful to know, especially if you have certain preferences. Longganisa de recado is spicy and garlicky. Among the best
servings of spicy longganisa are those that come from sausage-makers of Bais in Dumaguete, Lucban in Quezon, Taal in
Batangas, Dipolog, Tuguegarao, Cabanatuan, Calumpit, Batac and Vigan. Longganisa hamonado, on the other hand, is
sweet and possibly influenced by the Malay sate (satay) and the sweeter Chinese sausages like lap cheong or siang jiang.
The longganisa of Bacolod, Cebu, San Pablo and Baguio are examples of the hamonado tradition. There are also lesser-
known but no less distinctive versions of longganisa, among them the sausages from Candaba and Guagua in central
Luzon, which are salty-sour — a possible influence of pindang, the Kapampangan practice of using a process of
fermentation to tenderize the meat. The best longganisa is the freshest The best-known longganisa continue to follow
time-tested artisanal traditions: they are cased daily, use no preservatives and are always sold fresh. The sausages never
see the sun, breathe smoke or touch ice. Most longganisa are stuffed into casings made from fresh pork intestines.
Others, especially home-made versions, are often served “skinless”. One version, in San Pablo, Laguna, was wrapped in
the diaphanous membrane lining a pig’s stomach, called gapen or sinsal. Most longganisa are made with ground meat;
however, the towns of Taal and Guinobatan in Albay prefer the texture of rough-chopped pork. Many people like to eat
them well cooked, with small bits of casing and filling fried to an almost candied crisp. In Guinobatan, where the annual
calendar includes a longganisa-stringing contest, the casings are sun-dried prior to stuffing in order to help guarantee
that crispness. Nearly all artisanal sausage-makers will tell you that nothing comes close to the flavor of freshly made
longganisa. The Philippine longganisa reflects a wide variety of local cultures — and, like the national dishes of kinilaw,
adobo and sinigang, come in at least as many versions as there are creative home cooks. If you want to savor the full
spectrum of flavors that define this phenomenon, you must travel to where these traditional sausages are made. But
first, eat your breakfast. Sausages are one of those dishes that seem to appear in every cuisine. All around the world,
people have found that the best way to utilize the more affordable cuts of meat is to grind them, add spices and
herbs, and encase them to make sausages. Filipino cuisine is no exception when it comes to sausages. A trip to
the Philippines will most probably have you encounter, not one, but most likely several varieties of the local
sausage or longganisa. The term longganisa is derived from the Spanish term “longaniza” which is a type of
Spanish sausage. With the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, the term was introduced into the language and
is now the generic word for most local sausages in the Philippines. There are some regions in the Philippines
that refer to local sausages as “chorizo,” but unlike in Spain, where the two sausages have distinctions, it seems
to be used interchangeably in the Philippines, depending on the region where one is staying. Longganisa is so
popular and integral in many regions of the Philippines. This is why several places in the country, from Vigan
to Guinobatan to Lucban, hold yearly longganisa festivals to celebrate and promote it. Longganisa counts as an
all-day food. In local parlance, it is an “altanghap” food, meaning it can be enjoyed for breakfast (almusal),
lunch (tanghalian) or dinner (hapunan). Despite this, longganisa is still one of the kings of the Filipino
breakfast. The best way to enjoy it is to pair the longganisa with garlic fried rice (sinangag) and fried egg
(itlog). When ordering in a restaurant or eatery, it is simply called “Longsilog.” Because they are rich and
savory, longganisa is best enjoyed with a side dish or condiment to cut into the richness. Most of the time,
longganisa is dipped in vinegar or eaten with pickled vegetables or fruits called “atchara.” Longganisa has
crossover appeal. In fact, it has appeared on the menu of several American food joints in the Philippines,
including fast-food giant McDonalds.
Best Longganisa in the Philippines Most longganisas are named after the region they were created or became
popular in, making it easy to know where they are readily available. Most types of longganisa fall into two
general categories, “de recado” and “hamonado.” De recado refers to a more savory, salty kind of sausage,
while hamonado refers to a sweeter sausage. While there are many different varieties of longganisa, the
common denominator is garlic. Very rarely is there a Filipino sausage made without copious amounts of minced
garlic. Here are some of the top must-try types of longganisa in the Philippines: One of the more well-known
types, Vigan longganisa from Ilocos employs the famously fragrant and flavorful native garlic from the Ilocos
region. With slightly larger chunks of garlic, they are very savory and perfect with some caramelized sugar cane
vinegar. These are featured in another Ilocano favorite, the empanada, a must-try snack when doing Vigan
tours. Usually yellowish or orange in color, Tuguegarao longganisa has a wonderfully vibrant note of sourness
from the vinegar marinade. The meat is also less finely ground, so there are larger pieces in the sausage. It is
sometimes known as Longganisa Ibanag/Ybanag. Don't forget to try or buy these if you're doing Tuguegarao
tours. Alaminos Longganisa This longganisa from Alaminos in Pangasinan is easily identifiable as each link of
the sausage is sealed with a toothpick. Each link is usually small, and the meat is flavored simply with salt,
pepper, and tinted with annatto seed oil/water to give it an orange hue. In most cases, the meat is ground once,
seasoned, and then ground again before going into the casing. These are a must-try or must-buy as souvenirs to
complete your Pangasinan tours. Lucban longganisa in Quezon province distinguishes itself by flavoring the
meat with oregano and sometimes paprika. Of course, it still has a strong flavor of garlic and vinegar, but they
do have a deeper flavor, which slightly reminds of European flavors. Calumpit Longganisa Sometimes referred
to as the “Garlic Longganisa,” Bulacan's Calumpit longganisa actually features a more well-rounded flavor
profile compared to the other sausages with hints of paprika and brown sugar complementing the garlic, salt,
and pepper. Cabanatuan Longganisa The happy exception to the rule, Nueva Ecija's Cabanatuan longganisa,
locally known as “batutay,” are made with ground beef instead of the usual pork. It also has a sweeter taste,
giving the sausage a great balance between savory and sweet. Pampanga Longganisa Rivaled only by the Vigan
longganisa in popularity, this longganisa from the Culinary Capital of the Philippines, Pampanga, is sweet and
usually tinted red. This is the most commonly found version of longganisa, so when one is in Metro Manila, this
is the default version usually available. It can come in two versions, in a sausage casing or “skinless.” Chorizo
In the regions South of Luzon, from Cebu onwards in Visayas, people generally refer to longganisa as
“chorizo.” The size and shape may vary depending on the region. Cebu versions, for example, may be rounder
while Mindanao's Davao versions may be a little longer. The taste, however, does not vary as much. These are
the hamonado variety of longganisa, sweet with hints of garlic. These are best enjoyed grilled over charcoal,
with the casings caramelizing, giving the sausages a slight smoky taste and aroma. In Boracay, the chorizo meat
is shaped into a patty, grilled and served in a burger bun. Chorizo Negrense The sausage from the Bacolod
region is flavored with both vinegar and calamansi (local citrus) together with coarse salt and soy sauce. While
it is sometimes made with casing, it seems that the more popular version has become the chorizo “pudpud”
which is ground sausage. It is quite common to see these chorizos sold in small glass bottles. Must-Try Local
Longganisa These longganisa varieties may not be as popular, as they may be difficult to procure and are not
usually available outside of the provinces they are made. These, however, are tremendously flavorful and
delicious, and it will be worth the effort to find them. Imus Longganisa Probably not as well known as some of
its older brothers, Cavite's Imus variety has a blend of soy sauce, vinegar, annatto, and black pepper that gives
the mostly lean pork and a great balance of salty and sour flavors. It goes really well with nipa palm vinegar.
Try to look for these in public markets during your Cavite tours. Guinobatan Longganisa This longganisa could
be the nation’s smallest and a must-buy when doing tours in Bicol. Each link is only about 2 inches long, and
the meat is chopped by hand instead of being ground by a machine. This process gives these sausages a
different, more substantial mouthfeel. Pinuneg It is not strictly a longganisa, although there are some who like
to call it “Longganisa Dugo” (blood longganisa). Pinuneg is a blood sausage from the Northern Cordillera region
in the mountainous regions of Luzon, which uses offal like the heart, liver, or lungs and the pig’s blood. Stuffed with
lots of garlic and then smoked before being fried, the sausage is rich and savory, best enjoyed with some vinegar.
Binalonan Longganisa Another longganisa variety from the province of Pangasinan, this version may be lesser
known than its cousin from Alaminos, but it is no less flavorful. The pork sausage is flavored with garlic and soy
sauce, and it is encased in a sun-dried casing of pork intestine. Chinese Chorizo Sometimes called Chorizong Macau,
these are Filipino versions of the Cantonese Lap Cheong sausage. They are sweet pork sausages that are dried. In the
Philippines, they are rarely eaten alone. They usually appear in a lot of fried rice or stir fry recipes. It won’t be
difficult to find longganisa when you come to the Philippines. Step foot in any Filipino market and it will be
impossible to miss the numerous links of longganisa hanging by the butcher’s stall. What will be difficult will be to
establish which of the numerous longganisa types becomes one’s favorite. Skinless or with casing? De rekedo or
hamonado? Salty, sweet or sour? The hunt for one’s favorite longganisa may not be an easy one, but it will definitely
be a delicious one!