A La Verga is a play on the term “a la carte” which refers to the process of ordering single dishes at a restaurant as opposed to a set menu, as this editorial does; A La Verga is an editorial identifying the individual hands that make the food you consume from farm to table. The vulgar title pays homage to the crude language that is often spoken in a kitchen setting and moreover, in a language that is spoken by the overwhelmingly Latino immigrant populations which dominate the culinary scene in the US. This editorial takes you through this journey with a special highlight on chef Miguel Pena who has been head chef at Spikes Fish Market in Point Pleasant, NJ for over 20 years. The content was mainly sourced through a series of self-documented site visits in addition to verified library and database research. The culmination of these individual stories and collective statistics makes for an eye-opening understanding of the food industry that makes you say, “a la verga!”

A time-based adaptation featuring self-made footage from my series of site visits as well as video footage of referenced subjects in the final editorial timeline.