In 2025, Malen's Longganisa (Traditional Filipino Pork Sausage) won a Silver Medal at the Dunninghams Great New Zealand Sausage Competition, in the Flavours of the World category. Afterwards, the organisers, Retail Meat New Zealand, sent every entrant the judges' written feedback for each product.
It is not often you get an honest, line-by-line account of how independent experts saw your food, praise and criticism both. So we wanted to share it. Here is what the judges said about our longganisa.
But before that, its important to note how we prepared for this competition: We went to the walk-in freezer, hurriedly picked up the top three longganisa packs, and drove to the Retail Meat NZ Head office in North Shore. We hope you can see through this, that every longganisa you buy is award-winning.
The competition in numbers
The 2025 competition reached a new milestone, with a record 814 entries from 118 stores. Malen's Longganisa was entered in the Flavours of the World category. Retail Meat New Zealand's report says our longganisa placed "far above average" across all entries in its category, which earned it the Silver Medal. The full list of winners is on the official results page.
How the judges assessed it
Each entry is looked at twice. First, a technical judge, who is a butcher, examines the raw sausage: how it looks, how evenly it is filled, the texture and grind of the filling, and how well the ingredients are mixed. Then two aesthetic judges assess the cooked sausage: how it looks, smells, cuts and feels in the mouth, and how it tastes.
With so many entries this year, judging ran across several panels. Each panel's scores were standardised, so every entry can be compared on the same scale.
What the technical judge saw in the raw sausage
The butcher's assessment ticked the boxes that matter most to someone who makes sausages for a living: it looked appetising with an even colour throughout, it was evenly filled with no air pockets, the texture and grind were appropriate, the moisture was right, and it held together without falling apart. The ingredients were evenly distributed and well mixed.
In the judge's own words:
"Nice traditional tying of the links. Good sizing - true to name. Good colour through the casing."
"Good blend of ingredients, coarse grind true to name."
"Good example of a Longganisa."
What the taste judges said about the cooked sausage
The two aesthetic judges scored the cooked sausage as evenly filled, juicy and plump-looking, and good at holding its shape. They noted a pleasant aroma that was true to name, a sausage that cuts well, appropriate moisture and fat levels, and a good bite with no gristle. On flavour, they found it well seasoned, with a good balance of flavours, appropriate salt, and flavours that work well together. Their overall verdict on taste was "clean, fresh and meaty", with a good aftertaste.
A few of the comments we enjoyed most:
"Look brilliant - plump and inviting."
"Lots of caramelisation. Cute and consistent product."
"True to style (they are sweet). Very moreish and could imagine eating with rice and runny egg, and vinegar dipping sauce. A good amount of garlic shows through."
"Nice even flavour. Great aroma. Nice salt level. Good hit of garlic"
The constructive feedback
The feedback was not all praise, and we think that is what makes it valuable. The technical judge wrote that our sausages needed "just a bit more consistency on sizing". The tasting judges made three observations:
- "Split very slightly"
- "My only comment would be the sweetness, but again need to keep in context with what it is eaten with."
- "A little on the sweet side. A slight reduction may be good to keep from over-caramelisation."
Longganisa in this style is meant to be sweet as well as garlicky, and another judge described ours as "true to style (they are sweet)". Even so, we are reading every comment closely. Entering a competition is worth it for feedback like this alone.
Eat it the way the judge imagined
One judge pictured our longganisa "with rice and runny egg, and vinegar dipping sauce". That is exactly how it is meant to be eaten: as a silog, with garlic fried rice, a fried egg and a little spiced vinegar on the side, which also balances the sweetness.
Cook it straight from frozen. Cooking times vary, so make sure it is thoroughly cooked (75°C) before serving. Our guide to cooking longganisa covers the pan, oven and air fryer. For a full silog breakfast in one order, try the Silog Box.
Thank you
Thank you to Retail Meat New Zealand and Dunninghams for running the competition, to the judges for taking the time to write such detailed feedback, and to every customer who has ordered from us. You can read what customers say on our reviews page, or order the award-winning Longganisa here for delivery across New Zealand.