ONE OF my favorite Filipino delicacies is the Filipino sausage called the longganisa. When I get the opportunity to go to the north, I do my best to get a taste. One of the towns most known for its longganisa is Lucban, Quezon.

In Lucban, one of the families most known for their delicious longganisa is the Abcedes. I was fortunate enough to meet Precy Abcede who supplies the mayor himself with longganisa for special occasions and special guests. As with a lot of local restaurateurs, Precy got her recipe from her Lola Blesilda, who advised her to turn the excess products from their meat shop into longganisa. The young Precy obliged and now Abcede?s Best has been making the sausage for 20 years.

Precy was kind enough to share with me some secrets to the amazing Lucban longganisa. The key, she says, is garlic. Apparently what distinguishes Lucban longganisa from others is its garlicky taste. ?Unlike the longganisa from other provinces, ours is not too sweet,? Precy explained.

Other famous longganisas are those from Guagua, which has been described by some as ?salty and almost sour.? There is also the sweet longganisa hamonado. And of course there is also the favorite Vigan longganisa which is also garlicky but bigger than the Lucban longganisa.

The recipe for Lucban longganisa is simple. For every kilo of meat, use 2 tbsp of each of the following: salt, black pepper, garlic and vinegar. Then to enhance that ... umm ... piggish aroma, add powdered oregano. And to give it that reddish hue, use achuete. Precy is quick to add that Abcede?s uses no preservatives.

Another characteristic that makes Lucban longganisa stand out is its size. It is much smaller in diameter than other sausages but remains big in flavor. Being smaller means it?s more compact, and Precy confirms this observation by showing that inside those dried intestines (yup, the skin of the longganisa is pig intestines, my friends), is stuffed 80 percent meat and just 20 percent fat. The meat parts that are used are the pigue (upper thighs) and the liempo (near the stomach).

Since the Abcedes began their business, they have grown from being just a meat shop to having a small restaurant serving their processed meats. Their story as agri-preneurs is really quite inspiring. (See itcph. da.gov.ph/success%20stories%2006.pdf).

Because of the clamor for their longganisas, the Abcedes now also supply certain SM branches as well as Buddy?s Restaurant on Kalayaan Avenue, Makati. Fortunately, we no longer have to travel three to four hours just to enjoy this amazing longganisa!

Abcede?s Longganisa. 51 Quezon Ave., Lucban, Quezon. Also in SM Lucena, M Hypermart, and all branches of Buddy?s Restaurant. Tel. (042) 5402277.