SUGAR, SPICE, AND EVERYTHING NICE

  Hello everyone, my name is Alahna Horne, and I am proud to say that I am a junior attending Sac High.  I am applying for the Context Travel Scholarship in order to positively promote the future for myself, my family, and my peers.  Receiving the magnificent opportunity of traveling to such a historical and culturally enriched city, such as Paris, would be beyond inspiring; it would be transforming.  At sixteen years old, I would be able to say, with much gratitude, I am the first of my family to travel out of the country. Being the oldest of my siblings, it would bring me nothing but joy if I, the one they look up to, was able to share such a marvelous experience with them.   Throughout my three years of being a part of Sac High’s senate, I have learned that sometimes you do not always have to verbally lead. Similar to my younger siblings, my Sac High peers look up to me and expect me to be a positive role model.  However, I no longer want to only show them how to be a good student at Sac High, I also would like to share life skills. Skills such as dreaming beyond what is expected, having determination and confidence to reach your dream, and persevering until you have got it. Earning these life skills are what I look forward to most with receiving the scholarship, but being able to live out my dream of being completely encompassed by a new culture and learning it’s history is what I look forward to in Paris.

    While completing my timeline of Paris, the time of the Renaissance in the 16^th and 17^th centuries truly grabbed my attention.  When discussed, the “rebirth” of France is usually linked to new advances in art, literature, and architecture however, little light is usually shown on the change that the Renaissance brought on the cuisine of Paris.   During the “rebirth”, the incline in the economy allowed for explorations to foreign lands such as Africa, Asia, and the Americas.  France’s new increase in foreign trade allowed for various influences on food.  Foreign ideas were taken and added to original French Cuisine, creating a “rebirth” in culinary. Vasco De Gama, one of France’s many explorers, found a water route to India in 1497.  The new interactions with India brought several new spices to Paris.  Out of the many spices, sugar was a favorite for France, and lead to the wonderful invention, desserts, being made.  At this time, food further developed and became more gourmet.  The focus of making food no longer was solely to provide a nutritious meal, but also to make food that not only tasted great, but looked great as well.  The Renaissance spiced things up for Paris and transformed cooking into an art.  An art that today still sends our taste buds on an frenzy.