Longganisa is a Filipino pork sausage, usually fresh rather than cured, made with garlic, sugar and spices and cooked in a pan until caramelised. Depending on the region, it can be sweet and sticky or garlicky and sour. It is most often eaten at breakfast with garlic fried rice and a fried egg.
Key takeaways
- Longganisa is a fresh Filipino sausage. Wikipedia describes two broad styles: sweet (hamonado) and garlicky-savoury (de recado).
- The name traces back to Spain, but longganisa is not the same as cured Spanish chorizo. It is usually sold fresh and cooked at home.
- Our longganisa is the sweet, hamonado-style kind. It is 70% pork and won Silver at the 2025 Great NZ Sausage Competition.
- The easy method: start from frozen in a non-stick pan with a little water, then let it caramelise in oil until it reaches 75°C inside.
- You can order it online for delivery to most of New Zealand, or buy it from stockists between Auckland and Invercargill.
If you grew up on sizzling sausages at a Kiwi barbecue, longganisa will feel familiar and a little surprising at the same time. It is a snag, but a sweeter, stickier, more garlicky one, and it is meant to be eaten with rice. We make it in Auckland, so this guide covers how to cook it and where to find it.
Longganisa vs chorizo and the sausages Kiwis know
Longganisa is closest to a fresh sausage, not a cured one. That is the main difference from Spanish chorizo, which is typically fermented, smoked or cured, according to Positively Filipino. Longganisa is raw when you buy it and needs cooking, much like the sausages you would put in a pan on a Sunday morning.
The names are related. Wikipedia says the word derives from lucanica, a sausage from southern Italy, by way of Spain. Positively Filipino adds that the sausage may have reached the Philippines via Mexico. In the Philippines, the same magazine notes, people often use the words longganisa and chorizo interchangeably.
Spanish longaniza is seasoned with black pepper rather than paprika, according to Wikipedia. Filipino longganisa goes its own way, leaning on garlic and either sugar or sourness.
We could not find a published source that compares longganisa with a typical Kiwi breakfast sausage, so the last row of this table is our own plain-language comparison, not a technical definition.
| Sausage | Fresh or cured? | Typical flavour | How it is usually eaten |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filipino longganisa | Usually fresh, cooked at home | Sweet (hamonado) or garlicky and sour (de recado) | With garlic fried rice and a fried egg |
| Spanish chorizo | Typically fermented, smoked or cured | Typically smoked or cured | Varies by style |
| Kiwi breakfast or barbecue sausage (our comparison) | Fresh, cooked at home | Mild and savoury | With eggs, bread or off the barbecue |
Regional styles: hamonado vs de recado
Wikipedia groups Filipino longganisa into two broad families: hamonado, which is sweet, and de recado, which is garlicky and savoury. Wikipedia describes the split this way, and it is a useful starting point, though recipes vary from town to town and from family to family.
Hamonado: sweet and caramelised
Hamonado longganisa leans sweet, with sugar that browns in the pan into a sticky glaze. Wikipedia lists Cebu and Pampanga among the places known for this style. If you like the caramelised edges on a good bacon rasher or a honey-glazed ham.
De recado: garlicky, salty and sour
De recado longganisa is the savoury side. Wikipedia names Vigan, Lucban and Alaminos as examples, and notes that Lucban's version uses oregano. The Vigan longganisa entry describes it as salty, garlicky and sour. It is a sharper, more pungent sausage.
Pork is the classic base, but Wikipedia also notes versions made with chicken, beef and tuna.
What's in Malen's longganisa
We make a sweet, hamonado-style longganisa: sweet and savoury, with garlic and a coarse grind. Our Longganisa 500g is $17.99. We are a family-owned, small-batch, MPI-registered business, and you can read more on our About us page.
The ingredients are pork (70%), sugar, condensed milk, garlic, oyster sauce, salt, soy sauce, spices, seasoning, vegetable oil and natural casing. The condensed milk and sugar give the sweetness, and the oyster sauce and soy sauce add the savoury depth.
Allergens: wheat, gluten, milk, soy, egg and mollusc. Please check the product page for the full label before you order if anyone at your table has an allergy.
If you prefer some heat, we also make a Spicy Longganisa 500g at $17.99. It is the classic recipe with a kick of heat and spice, and it cooks the same way.
How to cook longganisa
The pan method works from frozen and gives you the glossy, caramelised finish longganisa is known for. The water stage and the oil stage that follows are the method we recommend. Here is the method we recommend for both our sweet and spicy versions:
- Place the frozen longganisa in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Add about half a cup of water and cook for 10 minutes.
- Once the water has evaporated, add a little oil.
- Cook for another 10 minutes on low heat until the sausage is caramelised and has reached 75°C inside.
Use a thermometer if you have one. Colour alone can mislead with a sugary sausage, because the outside browns quickly. If you would rather use the oven or an air fryer, we have step-by-step instructions in our guide on how to cook longganisa in a pan, oven or air fryer.
How to serve longganisa
The classic way to serve longganisa is with garlic fried rice (sinangag) and a fried egg. Wikipedia notes this breakfast plate is called a silog, and when longganisa is the meat it becomes a longsilog. The runny yolk runs into the rice, and the sweet sausage sits against it.
Longganisa is only one member of the silog family. Our Silog Box also includes Beef Tapa and Tocino, which are served the same way. If you want to see how the whole plate comes together, read our post on tapsilog, the Filipino breakfast worth waking up for. And if you want to try several at once, our Silog Box ($99.99) includes 2 packs each of Longganisa, Beef Tapa and Tocino, at 500g per pack.
What the judges said
Our longganisa won Silver in the Flavours of the World category at the 2025 Dunninghams Great New Zealand Sausage Competition. Our own blog post on the result says the competition had 814 entries from 118 stores. The organiser, Retail Meat NZ, lists Malen's Longganisa (Traditional Filipino Pork Sausage) as a silver winner, available nationwide.
Here is some of what the judges wrote:
"Good blend of ingredients, coarse grind true to name."
"True to style (they are sweet). Very moreish and could imagine eating with rice and runny egg."
"Good example of a Longganisa."
Not every comment was a compliment, and we think the honest ones are the most useful. The judges' constructive notes included "a little on the sweet side. A slight reduction may be good." and "just a bit more consistency on sizing". The judges also said the sweetness is true to style, so it is worth knowing if you prefer less sugar in your sausages.
You can read the full set of raw and cooked comments in our post, what the judges said about Malen's longganisa.
Where to buy longganisa in NZ
You can buy our longganisa online with chilled delivery, or pick it up from a stockist near you. Online orders need a minimum of 4 items, and we cannot deliver to rural addresses (you can check an address at nzcouriers.co.nz). Orders travel in an insulated box with wool linings and ice packs.
Delivery fees and timing
Approximate delivery fees for orders of up to 10 items are:
- Auckland: $9
- Neighbouring regions: $13
- Rest of the North Island: $15
- South Island: $21
Orders placed Sunday to Wednesday arrive within up to 2 days. Orders placed Thursday to Saturday are picked up on Monday and delivered on Tuesday. Full details are on our delivery information page.
Stockists by region
These stores stock our products. Stock can change, so check our stockists page for the current list before you head out.
- Auckland: Cabayan Mart (Massey), DH Supermarket (Pakuranga), DaHua (Henderson), Foodie Asian Supermarket (Westgate), Fresh and Save (Ōtāhuhu), Kia Ora Superette (New Lynn), Stacks (Mt Wellington), Thai Heng Grow (Henderson), Barrio (Wairau Valley), Asian Sari-Sari Store (Glen Innes and Manukau)
- Waikato: Asian Sari-Sari Store, Hamilton
- Taranaki: Orient Mart, Stratford
- Manawatū: PinoyNZ Trading, Palmerston North
- Wellington region: BB J Goodies (Levin), EZ Shopinoy (Naenae)
- Canterbury: Golden Buffalo, Riccarton
- Southland: JMC Filipino Store, Invercargill
Frequently asked questions
Is longganisa made from pork?
Traditionally, yes. Pork is the classic base, and ours is 70% pork. Wikipedia notes that chicken, beef and tuna versions exist in the Philippines, but our longganisa is pork.
Is longganisa spicy?
Ours is not. Our standard longganisa is sweet and savoury, and we sell a separate Spicy Longganisa with a kick of heat and spice. Regional styles vary: the hamonado style is sweet, and the de recado style is garlicky and savoury.
Is longganisa cooked, and how can I tell it is done?
Ours is raw, so it needs cooking. It is done when it is caramelised on the outside and has reached 75°C inside. A thermometer is the most reliable check, since the sugar in the sausage can brown before the middle is cooked through.
Can I cook longganisa from frozen?
Yes. Our method starts from frozen: non-stick pan, medium heat, half a cup of water for 10 minutes, then oil and 10 more minutes on low heat.
How long does delivery take?
Orders placed Sunday to Wednesday arrive within up to 2 days. Orders placed Thursday to Saturday are picked up on Monday and delivered on Tuesday. The minimum order is 4 items, and rural addresses are not covered.
If you would like to taste what the judges were writing about, you can order our sweet Longganisa 500g. We hope it ends up on a plate with garlic rice and a runny egg.