The Longanisa List

Longanisa is what the Filipinos call the sausage. With a country as diverse as the Philippines, you can expect the longanisa to be different from region to region. There are a couple of ways I know of in cooking one; in oil or in water.

Generic Longanisa. Why do I call it generic? Simply because it's the common one that you can find at the market place in Metro Manila. There is nothing so special about it; just the usual odd parts and preservatives. When cooked, there is a little bit of caramelized sugar and some oil or fat comes out from the longanisa.

Fast Food Longanisa (specifically from Jollibee). This is what some fast food chains serve. This type of longanisa resembles more of a special hotdog. It is made at a meat processing plant with a name similar to a Philippine province.

Vigan Longanisa. Up the North Western part of Luzon is Ilocos where Vigan is located is where you can find one of my more favorite type of longanisa. The Vigan longanisa is not as greasy when cooked as the other types. It is also garlicky. This is the type of longanisa you would most likely have in the Ilocos Region, Region 1.

Cagayan Longanisa. Like the Vigan Longanisa, this is also garlicky with a slight difference in flavor. Both are not very greasy when cooked. This can be found in Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, and Quirino.

Pampanga Longanisa (Unfortunately, I don't have a picture for it). It is the more famous type of longanisa around Central Luzon, Pangasinan, some parts of Southern Region 1, and Metro Manila. When cooked, you will notice the caramelized sweetener on the outside of the longanisa. This makes it very sweet and sticky.

Quezon Longanisa (No picture). This type is probably the largest. Its common size is generally the largest compared to the common size of other longanisa (I said common size because you can custom make a longanisa to any size and length). You have to go to Quezon or its neighboring provinces to try one of these.

Dumaguete Longanisa. This type of longanisa is what you would most likely have in the City of Dumaguete. It is similar to the Pampanga Longanisa because both are on the sweet side. The difference lies in the wrapper. The Dumaguete type has none. It's skinless.

Cebu Longanisa (No picture). In contrast to the Quezon type, this is perhaps the smallest. It is almost spherical in shape. One piece is around an inch or so in diameter. Also, it is not restricted to one taste; there's sweet, spicy, etc.

Nueva Ecija Longanisa (No picture). I'm not sure if I have tried this particular longanisa. But for certain, I have heard of it. It is more commonly known as bototay.

There are a lot of other types of longanisa out there; one being a variant of the other. There is a difference from region to region, province to province. Since most of them are home made, even home to home. They are made to fit the different tastes of a diverse people.