Longaniza

Longaniza(Spanish pronunciation:[loŋɡaˈniθa], orLatin American Spanish:[loŋɡaˈnisa]) is a Spanishsausage(embutido) similar to achorizoand also closely associated with thePortugueselinguiça. Its defining characteristics are interpreted differently from region to region.  It is popular in the cuisines of several regions ofSpain,Argentina,Uruguay,Puerto Rico,Dominican Republic,El Salvador,Guatemala,MexicoandChile. In thePhilippines, it is calledlongganisaand has hundreds of variants with different vernacular tastes and forms due to the 144 ethno-linguistic groups of the archipelago.  Longaniza essentially tracks the spread ofLatinculture (in the sense of the originalLatini, from Italy) around the world.  Longaniza derives fromLucanica, a sausage fromLucaniain Southern Italy that was adopted by the Latins ofAncient Romethrough military contact.From there it spread to Spain, and from Spain, centuries later, to every place in the world with modern "Latin" (e.g.,Latin American) culture.
In Spain,longanizais similar tosalchichón, though thinner; both differ fromchorizoin that black pepper is used for them instead ofpaprikaand may have different spices in them like nutmeg.
InArgentinaandUruguay, longaniza is a very long, cured and driedporksausage that gets its particular flavour from groundaniseseeds. This results in a very particular aroma, and a mildly sweet flavour that contrasts with the strong salty taste of the stuffing. It is used mainly as anappetizeror in sandwiches, and very rarely cooked.
In Chile and Peru, longaniza may be eaten during abarbecuewith bread as achoripán. The city ofChillánis known for its longanizas. Chillán's football teamÑublenseare nicknamedThe Clockwork Longaniza(Spanish:La longaniza mecánica). During thefestivities of the 18th of September, longaniza is prepared in great quantities.
Mexican longaniza tends to be longer than Mexican chorizo and is spicier. It is commonly chopped up and mixed with eggs with tomato andchilito make the dishlonganiza con huevo, and is eaten with tortillas in the morning.
Puerto Rican style longaniza is made ofpork, but also is made withchickenorturkey. The red orange color is from the addition ofannattoseeds. Rice with longaniza is a popular dish.
Since colonial times, Dominican style longaniza has been prepared with the juice of bitter oranges (or lime), garlic, oregano and salt. For the casing, pork intestines are used. Then the longaniza is left to cure in the sun for some days. It is eaten fried in its own fat or in vegetable oil. Quality varies considerably because it is generally home-made. Best quality Dominican longaniza usually has a 70% ratio of lean to fat.
Longanizaorlongganisa(also calledchorizo,choriso,tsoriso, orsorisoinVisayan regions) refers to sausages flavoured with spices. They are commonly dyed red, yellow, or orange withachueteseeds.
Longganisaare usuallyfreshorsmoked sausages, typically made with varying ratios of lean meat and fat, along with garlic, black pepper, salt (usually coarsesea salt),saltpeter,muscovadoorbrown sugar, and vinegar. Variants may addpaprika,chili,anise liqueur, and other spices. Mostlongganisaare classified primarily by either being sweet (jamonadoorhamonado;Philippine Spanish:longaniza jamonada) or garlicky (de recadoorderecado; Philippine Spanish:longaniza de recado, "spice-mixed longganisa" or literally "longanissa laden with a set of spices").Mostlongganisaare made with pork. Unlike the Spanishchorizoandlonganiza, Filipinolongganisacan also be made with chicken, beef, or even tuna. Commercial varieties are made into links, but homemade sausages may be simple patties (bulk sausages) without the casing, known aslongganisang hubador inPhilippine Englishas "skinless sausages".
There are numerous kinds of sausages in the Philippines, usually unique to a specific region likeVigan longganisa,Alaminos longganisa, andChorizo de Cebu. There are also a fewdry sausageslikeChorizo de BilbaoandChorizo de Macao.The most widely knownlongganisavariant in Philippine cuisine is thePampanga longganisa, because it is commercially mass-produced.
Below are some of the more known variants of longganisa in the Philippines (along with their regions of origin, where applicable):