Longganisa (Longaniza Filipina)
A family of sausages, of which each region of the Philippines has its own version. The name descends from the Spanish longaniza; the contents scarcely resemble it any longer.
| Lean pork (shoulder) | 700 g |
| Pork fat | 300 g |
| Fine salt | 18 g |
| Brown sugar or muscovado | 30 g |
| Fresh garlic, crushed | 25 g |
| Cane vinegar | 30 ml |
| Soy sauce | 20 ml |
| Ground black pepper | 3 g |
| Paprika (for colour) | 8 g |
| Chilli (for the spicy version) | 5 g |
| Hog casing (Ø 24–28 mm) | — |
- Mincing: Mince the meat through the 5 to 6 mm plate.
- Seasoning: Mix the salt, the sugar, the garlic, the vinegar, the soy sauce, the pepper and the paprika. Add to the meats. Knead for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Resting: Refrigerate for at least 12 to 24 hours. This rest is essential to the development of the flavours.
- Stuffing: Stuff into the casings. Form sausages of 8 to 10 cm. For the Cebu style, form balls.
- Cooking: Pan-fry over medium heat in a little water, then let brown in its own fat once the water has evaporated.
- Serving: Serve at breakfast with sinangag (garlic rice) and a fried egg (longsilog).
The Filipino longganisa descends from the Spanish longaniza introduced over three centuries of colonial presence (1565–1898). Cane sugar, produced in abundance in the Philippines since the seventeenth century, replaced pimentón as the dominant seasoning; cane vinegar replaced red wine; and soy sauce, introduced by Chinese merchants who had been present in the archipelago since the fifteenth century, added an umami dimension absent from the Iberian model. The common denominator with the Spanish longaniza is limited to the format and the name.
The regional diversity is unique among Southeast Asia's sausages. The longganisa de Vigan (Ilocos Sur) is very garlicky and slightly sharp. That of Lucban (Quezon) is salty and garlicky, scented with oregano and vinegar. That of Cebu is sweet and round, often sold in small balls. That of Pampanga is sweet-savoury, with muscovado sugar (unrefined whole-cane sugar), which gives it a caramel colour when cooking. Filipinos recognise them at once and grant them a regional importance.
The sugar-to-salt ratio has no equivalent in European charcuterie. The brown sugar content (up to 30 grammes per kilo) causes rapid caramelisation during cooking. The technique consists of starting in a little water to cook the sausage through, then letting it brown in its own fat once the liquid has evaporated.
The longsilog (longganisa + sinangag, garlic fried rice, + itlog, egg, in practice fried) is the most widespread breakfast in everyday Filipino cooking. The longganisa is served in carinderías (small, very affordable family restaurants) as well as in hotels, across all social classes. Its spread is carried by a diaspora of about 10 million Filipinos living abroad.
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