Surprises and twists, a long series of unexpected events, and then, finally, the long-awaited shower of golden confetti: Teo wins MasterChef Italy.
His is the name shouted by Antonino Cannavacciuolo, judge of the culinary competition together with Bruno Barbieri and Giorgio Locatelli in the last episode of the Sky Original cooking show produced by Endemol Shine Italy.
Matteo Canzi, 24, is from Olgiate Molgora (Lecco) in Brianza, and is an International Marketing student. He faces off against Carlotta, 25, from Candelo (Biella), who entered MasterChef Italy while unemployed. Dounia, a 28-year-old Moroccan-born OSS (healthcare assistant) from Bassano del Grappa (Vicenza), and Matteo Rinaldi, a 28-year-old graphic designer from Boltiere, in the province of Bergamo, narrowly missing out on the final showdown.
The winner will receive €100,000 in gold tokens, a higher education course at ALMA - The International School of Italian Cuisine, and the publication of his first cookbook: "The Taste of Why – Nothing is Created. Nothing is Destroyed. Everything is Cooked," out March 12 (Baldini+Castoldi).
Before starting his journey on MasterChef Italy, the new winner explained that he was drawn to the world of cooking at a very young age: "I enjoyed messing around in the kitchen with my grandmother," he said. His "illumination" came four years ago, when he prepared Beef Wellington for his family at Christmas: "It was my first technically complex recipe, and it turned out really well, so this is my path," he said. Since then, he hasn't stopped, studying and experimenting with every dish and technique, even foreign cuisines (his favorites are Spanish and Japanese). He loves sports, having played several before slowing down due to an injury, but in recent years, cooking has become the center of his world: "I study marketing, but I ask myself why I'm doing it. I want to cook," he explained upon entering the Masterclass, also revealing how his parents initially frowned upon his passion for cooking. He signed up for MasterChef Italy with the dream of becoming a private chef and with three goals: "To increase my experience, to make myself known so I can build a client base, and to win."
