I'm a hardcore longganisa fan. Whenever I go to Manila, I try to get some of the more exotic local sausages from all over the Philippines. And by this time I've tasted a lot. My all time favorite may still be Lucban Longganisa, but this one I found right here in San Pablo comes really close.
The meat sellers at the local palengke have their own versions of longganisa, with slightly varying recipes and tastes. The general characteristic of San Pablo longganisa is that it's "hamonado" or that it's generally sweet.
The one I like most is the one from the stall of Vivien Laurel. They have two kinds of longganisa, Regular and Smoked. I like them both a lot, but I think their "Regular" longganisa (the whiter one), has a distinctive edge because it has a more subtle taste, and it seems more garlicky than the other. Yes, I'm a garlic fan. That's probably why Lucban Longganisa is my all time favorite.
The person at the stall said that the Regular Longganisa needs to be stewed in a bit of water first, while the Smoked one can be fried directly. I stewed both in water first because it's really only the proper thing to do with longganisa. The purpose of this is to soft cook the sausages, allowing some of the fat in them to melt and come out. By the time the water evaporates, the sausages will be fying in their own oil. If the melted oil isn't enough, you can always add a little bit more.
Also, the stewing in water allows the sausages to be cooked so that you don't have to fry them for too long. The problem with frying anything with sugar content is that sugar tends to burn quickly and you will soon end up with a pan with lots of burned and caramelized sugar.
There you go! Longganisa comes best with fried rice and sunny side up egg. If you buy from Vivien Laurel, them them the Internet sent ya!
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