Longaniza

Longaniza is a seasoned sausage whose name and recipe vary across Spanish-speaking food traditions. It is usually made from pork, though some versions use other meats, and may be sold fresh, cured or dried.

If it is raw, cook it gently in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, turning often so the casing does not split; allow roughly 15–20 minutes, depending on thickness. Check that the centre reaches 75 °C before serving.

Only if it is sold as cured or ready to eat. Fresh longaniza is raw sausage and must be cooked through; a dry appearance alone does not mean it is safe to eat uncooked.

Keep fresh longaniza chilled and use it by the date on its packaging; once opened, wrap it well and cook it promptly. Freeze it if you will not use it in time, and thaw it in the fridge.

Cooked longaniza works well with eggs, beans, potatoes or rice, and can be added to stews. In Spain, longaniza is also grilled or fried and served as a tapa; recipes differ across regions.

Sometimes, but the flavour is not identical: Spanish chorizo is characteristically seasoned with paprika, while longaniza recipes use different spice blends and may be fresh rather than cured. For a dish that needs paprika-rich cured sausage, chorizo is the closer choice.

It provides 25 g of protein per 100 g, but it is also a fatty sausage, with 28 g of fat per 100 g. Treat it as a substantial part of a meal rather than a lean meat.