Longganisa lovers

MILLIE: When foodies like us think of Vigan, we instantly think of the famous Vigan longganisa, a native pork sausage usually served for breakfast with garlic fried rice and fresh farm eggs. This native delicacy is a popular cottage industry in the country and has many versions, depending on the region it comes from. For instance, Vigan longganisa is said to be a bit more sweetish because it has brown sugar, while longganisang Laoag is said to be more garlicky in taste. Both are flavored with white cane vinegar or sukang Iloco.

Longganisa is a typical Filipino favorite. Just like adobo, everyone has a particular kind of longganisa they prefer. Some like it sweet, others garlicky or spicy. It is said that longganisa was influenced by the Spaniards during the period of the Spanish galleon trade. But this sausage is also prevalent in different cuisines today. Aside from Spain and the Philippines, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay also have their own versions of longganisa, according to Wikipedia.

Being popular in the Ilocos region, Vigan has hosted annual longganisa festivals from Jan. 22 to 27. This is something Karla and I would like to go back to Vigan for — to witness the exciting longganisa competition, judging the longest and tastiest longganisa. They also celebrate with a street parade, dance competition and cook fest.

During a recent weekend trip to Vigan, Ilocos Sur, we visited the home of Delma Quimson, a longganisa maker who showed us how she prepares her homemade Vigan longganisa using a priceless family heirloom recipe.

KARLA: We got up early since it was our last day in Vigan. We were served a sumptuous buffet breakfast at Hotel Luna where we were staying and the whole spread was overwhelming: fried dilis, crispy spade, beef tapa, pork tocino, malunggay pan de sal, croissants, Danish pastries, an assortment of jams and marmalades, cheeses, fresh fruits and fruit juices … the works!

After breakfast, Tita Ana Mendoza immediately took us to the house of Ate Delma, where she produces longganisa and bagnet. As soon as we entered Ate Delma’s place, we saw a display of a longganisa curtain where the longganisa is hung to dry. She took us to the room where they stuff the longganisa into the casings and divide it into small sausage links before being washed, hung and dried.

After taking pictures and the brief interview about longganisa, Ate Delma invited us in to her sala, where she fed us longganisa. Despite having just had a heavy breakfast, we couldn’t help but dig in and couldn’t stop eating as we listened to Ate Delma tell her story about how she started her own longganisa business.

Ate Delma studied BS Commerce at the University of Baguio, where she met her husband, Kuya Reynaldo, who was then studying architecture at St. Louis University in Baguio. They met at a young age, when Ate Delma was 20 and Kuya Reynaldo, 22 years old. Due to the love bug, the two decided to get married, which cut into their getting their college degrees. Nonetheless, together they managed to raise a family with three children, with the production of longganisa as their main source of income.

While we were interviewing her, we saw a fresh batch of bagnet being carried in. We all fell silent, slightly drooling as our eyes followed the man carrying the basket full of bagnet, who laid them all out one by one on a table to cool down. Mind you, this was all before lunchtime, when we had just eaten a heavy breakfast and the longganisa with sukang Iloko prepared for us. Ate Delma got the hint and immediately asked the bagnet man to chop one piece and serve it to us. No words could express how big our smiles were as we continued the interview, anticipating the arrival of the freshly cooked bagnet.

The eldest son of Delma and Reynaldo is 24-year-old James Clifford, who studied tourism. The second child, Reynald, is a 22-year-old BS Criminology student with hopes of becoming a policeman. Last but not least, the youngest, a seven-year-old son named Jhon Michael, is a special child. At the age of two, he was brought to the hospital with complaints of severe cough and colds. Doctors weren’t sure what was wrong with him and could not give a definite diagnosis. He gradually regressed and somehow, seems to have forgotten how to speak. Mom and Tita Ana Mendoza constantly remind her that Jhon Michael is a blessing to her and her family.

MILLIE: We spent more time talking to Delma and Reynaldo while they fed us bagnet. She started to tell us how she has been using a hand-me-down recipe from her grandmother, Magdalena Cabotaje. She learned how to prepare the longganisa from her mother, Zenaida Parguian, who is currently 63 years old. Although her mom also produces and sells longganisa, Delma says there is no conflict being in the same business as she has her own clients and so does her mother. Delma produces at least 100 kilos of longganisa on a regular day. During peak season, she produces 300 to 400 kilos a day.

KARLA: After visiting Ate Delma, we decided to check out the famous Plaza Burgos. Mom was intrigued by the four-cheese pizza at Café Leona along Calle Crisologo, which Donnie Ramirez was raving about. We decided to order a pizza to taste around lunchtime and it was worth it. The crust was very good and the mix of four cheeses —mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmesan and Romano — was delightful. It had a crispy, thin crust, just how my lolo Joe would have liked it. I would have wanted to try the other flavors but I believe we had done too much eating for one morning already. Café Leona seemed to be a popular place not only for tourists but for locals as well. They also had other food in chafing dishes available. We were very tempted to try the pinakbet, but decided to keep focused and stick to the pizza.

MILLIE: Walking through the streets of Vigan gave us a feeling of being lost somewhere in time as the original façade of old structures were well-preserved and maintained, earning the distinction of being named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. It was a wonderful weekend and we know we will definitely return.

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Send e-mail to milliereyes.foodforthought@gmail.com and karla@swizzlemobilebar.com. Find us on Facebook and read articles you might have missed: Food for Thought by Millie & Karla Reyes.