Cagayan de Oro's favorite Longganisa: From family kitchens to supermarket shelves

The smell of garlic clinging to the air is one of Christian Noel “Chino” Mempin’s earliest memories.

In the family kitchen of their home in Cagayan de Oro City (CDO), his parents, Damaso and Emelita, would prepare batches of skinless longganisa — pork sausage fragrant with garlic — and tocino, pork cured in sugar and spices until caramelized.

These homemade delicacies, crafted in small quantities and sold locally, were the quiet beginnings of what would later become Chino’s Deli, a proudly homegrown line of artisan sausages and cured meats now found in supermarkets across the Philippines.

Today, Mempin is executive chef at H Proper Coffee Roasters in CDO, but his heart remains in his family’s kitchen. Building on his parents’ legacy, he launched Chino’s Deli with a simple but fundamental concept: meat products free from extenders, artificial flavorings, or synthetic colors — just honest food with bold flavors. What began as small-batch sausages for friends and neighbors has grown into a family-run business with distribution in Shopwise, The Marketplace and Robinsons Supermarket.

“We were very clear from the beginning that we wanted to offer the authentic flavor profile of Chino’s — sweet and savory, with no shortcuts,” Chino said. “Some people weren’t used to the slight sweetness in the meat, but once they tried it, they kept coming back.”

At the heart of Chino’s Deli is the skinless longganisa, now its best-selling product nationwide. It’s the kind of dish that Filipinos return to again and again, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

“Even kids love it,” Chino said, recalling how his parents used to say their longganisa was a meal children would happily eat all day. The garlicky sausages pair effortlessly with garlic rice and eggs, and they speak to a broader idea that breakfast — so often rushed or overlooked — should be something to look forward to.

Chino’s personal favorite is still the skinless longganisa, though he has a soft spot for the smoked chorizo, whose robust flavor hints at the chef’s professional training.

Chino honed his culinary skills at Shangri-La Boracay and later under acclaimed Spanish chef Chele Gonzalez at the innovative Gallery Vask in Manila, where he helped develop tasting menus and explored the intersection of local ingredients and modern technique.

“Chef Chele really taught me how to taste properly, how to source ingredients, and how to tell the difference between good food and great food,” he said. “It sounds basic, but it changed everything for me.”

The Mempin family has since expanded their food ventures beyond deli meats. In Cagayan de Oro, Chino’s Deli also operates sandwich outlets in Ayala and SM malls, while the mother and the siblings — Chino, Jonathan and Katrina — run Restaurant Damaso, a modern Filipino eatery at SM CDO Downtown Premier. Named in memory of their late father, the restaurant is likewise a tribute to the man whose home kitchen first sparked Chino’s love of food.

At the heart of Chino’s Deli is a restless creativity — a desire to push the boundaries of traditional Filipino cured meats while staying true to their comforting flavors. As head of research and development, Chino has crafted an ever-growing lineup of sausages and cured meats that reflect both his culinary training and his Northern Mindanao roots.

Take the smoked chorizo, for example: densely packed with garlic, perfumed with bay leaves and slowly matured, dried and cold-smoked to bring out deep, savory notes. It is a rustic sausage that speaks to old-world technique but carries the unmistakable punch of Filipino flavors.

The Knackwurst is a plumper, juicier sausage tweaked for the sweet-leaning palates of Northern Mindanao. Its flavor is reminiscent of hamonado, a familiar Filipino favorite: pork touched with a gentle fruitiness and balanced by a hint of tang. The Bratwurst, meanwhile, departs from the usual pinkish-brown sausage; here it emerges as a creamy white sausage, still tangy but mellowed with richness — another adaptation to local taste.

The Hungarian Sausage is spiced with paprika, its smoky edge rounded out by gentle heat. But one of the more playful inventions is the Lechon Chorizo — a tribute to the festive Filipino roast pig. Chino captures the aromatic heart of lechon — lemongrass, bay leaves, roasted peppers — and folds them into the sausage itself, evoking the flavor of a fiesta with every bite. In CDO, these are the familiar spices that signal celebration, now reimagined in everyday form.

For those who crave heat, there is the chili chorizo — a fiery sibling to the smoked chorizo, spiked with enough chili to leave a lingering warmth. The Habanero Cheese Sausage dials it up even further, made in collaboration with local pepper farmers. The habaneros —sometimes pickled, sometimes minced fresh — bring a sharp, thrilling heat, while pockets of cheese melt into the sausage, adding richness and balance. These seasonal flavors reflect Chino’s ongoing experiments and his belief that even humble sausages can surprise.

The meat brand’s playful spirit extends to other specialties: the Cheese Damatheos, created by Chino’s nephew Lucas Matheos, uses ham cut-offs — leftovers that might otherwise be wasted — transformed into creamy, indulgent sausages. A ham-and-cheese sausage, meanwhile, bursts with gooey, melty centers when cooked, an unabashed crowd-pleaser.

The brand also offers regional staples like Beef Tapa, made from choice cuts and inspired by Kasahos, the traditional Mindanao-style beef jerky — air-dried, then pan-fried with aromatic spices. For the holidays, the ever-popular Embutido or Pinoy meatloaf, whole-muscle hams: bone-in legs, chicken hams and richly-cured pork hams sell out as fast as they appear.

One of the latest experiments is a corned beef fortified with collagen, resulting in meat that stays moist and tender — a far cry from the dry, stringy versions that too often pass as corned beef. Even the brand’s bacon is given careful attention, smoked in different styles and offered in steak cuts, slabs, or thick belly slices, with alternating layers of fat and lean that crisp beautifully when cooked.

A Thai curry sausage, another specialty, brings the warmth of lemongrass, coconut and spices into the mix — something you could toss into a chicken curry or serve grilled on top of a steaming bowl of rice.

“It’s the kind of thing you can pull from the freezer for cocktails or special occasions,” Chino explains—simple enough to prepare, but guaranteed to elevate the meal.

Through it all, the guiding principle remains the same: bold, satisfying flavors without shortcuts. Each creation is a blend of craftsmanship and comfort, designed to bring a little spark to the everyday table.