Longanisa is a Philippine version of a Spanish Longaniza sausage. Longaniza is also popular in Argentina, Chile, Mexico and all other Spanish speaking countries including the Caribbean Islands like Cuba and the Dominican Republic. And of course there are different varieties of Longaniza.
In 1565 Spanish Conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi arrived in Cebu, Philippines from Mexico (New Spain) and established the permanent Spanish settlement that lasted over three hundred years. This brought Catholic Religion, Spanish law, administration, and the new culture. Culinary arts were no exception and Spanish sausages were introduced as well. They had to be somewhat modified due to a different, hot and humid climate, but their names remained the same. The most popular sausage in the Philippines is Longanisa (in Spain called Longaniza) and it has a distinctive flavor in each region of the country: Lucban is heavy on garlic and oregano, Guagua is saltier with more vinegar, or finger-sized ones from Guinobatan. Traditional Longanisa may be dried (conditions permitting) and sometimes smoked, however, it can be kept fresh or frozen and cooked. Unlike Spanish chorizos, Longanisas can also be made of chicken, beef, or even tuna.