As touched upon above, linguica shares many similarities to longaniza. Originally from Portugal, linguica is a coiled sausage spiced with paprika and garlic. It needs to be cooked before serving, and is usually roasted over charcoal, although it can also be either pan fried or added to stews.
If you’ve confused chorizo and linguica in the past, don’t worry you’re not alone. Linguica is similar to chorizo, but tends to have a milder flavor. It can often include spices like oregano and cumin, as well as going through a vinegar brining stage either before or after it goes into casings. Both ultimately use the same meat and very similar spice blends, but it is understood that chorizo has more of a ‘kick’ than its Portuguese counterpart.