Eyal Shani on his famous romance with tomatoes: "I just needed the money"
Renowned chef Eyal Shani revealed the surprising story behind his iconic passion for tomatoes: "I had a fever of 41 degrees, I was a poor guy who needed the money."
Israeli television is known for showcasing unique, and sometimes slightly bizarre, characters. One of the most prominent among them—who emerged from the depths of the local culinary scene to become one of Israel's greatest chefs—is undoubtedly Eyal Shani.
As is well known, one of the main reasons Shani became a cult figure and such a recognizable character is his endless passion for tomatoes. In a new episode of "MasterChef: Dream Season," where contestants were tasked with preparing a meal in the style of Eyal Shani, the word "tomato" was mentioned repeatedly throughout the episode.
During a discussion between the judges, Shani addressed the unusual task assigned to the contestants:
"This is a task that offers an opportunity for very broad self-expression; there haven't been many like it on 'MasterChef.' You need to bring what you understand and know how to justify it."
The climax of the episode arrived when chef Avi Biton took the opportunity to ask Shani how he actually became the "tomato king." Without suspecting that he was about to solve a mystery that had persisted for years, Shani provided an unforgettable answer:
"I was doing a commercial for some stone company. I arrived at the shoot with a fever of 41 degrees and pneumonia. Who goes to a shoot? A poor guy like me who needed the money."
Shani continued by describing the moment everything came together:
"They told me, 'We'll bring you a tomato, talk to it.' I lay down on the counter, and I was having hallucinations. I started talking to it, my voice was hoarse—it turned out to be one of the most erotic scenes in Israeli advertising."
