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Salmon is the real “Traitors” power player

40 0
01.03.2026

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Salmon is the real “Traitors” power player

On the cutthroat reality show, the players’ favorite breakfast harbors its own secrets

Published February 28, 2026 10:30AM (EST)

​​On a show built around betrayal, murder and psychological warfare, contestants are often left with more questions than answers. But the most poignant and heated query at the breakfast table is: Did you get the salmon? 

This season of “The Traitors” has been, from a food perspective, deeply strange.

There was Michael Rapaport whose “primitive” eating habits were compared to those of Dorinda Medley’s cavapoo. The image of a man who lost all sense of ceremony in a show that is almost completely about leaning into the avant garde and fantastical pomp of a Scottish castle. Rob Rausch being borderline pornographic with the boiled eggs. Stephen Colletti innocently slicing turkey and unintentionally sparking one of the most wild crashouts in “Traitors” history.

Meals feel less like a relaxing reprieve after long, arduous missions and more like a tension-filled calm before a storm you’re 100% certain is coming — and may very well take you with it. If I had the threat of murder looming over my head, I wouldn’t have an appetite either.

But by far, the most interesting food moment of this season hasn’t been the eggs, the turkey or the cold, unspreadable butter. It’s the smoked salmon.

Though, on a show where even “Top Chef” winner Kristen Kish reportedly had to intervene about food quality, that bar is not especially high. “I’ve offered to consult on culinary needs for future seasons. The question is, will the budget for culinary consultant come out of the smoked salmon budget?” Kish wrote in an Instagram post lamenting about the general struggle of eating and cooking while on the show.

The sea-sourced shining star doesn’t just look good, it has become a fixation. A recurring joke. A source of stress. A marker of status. Something cast members continue to talk about in interviews, podcasts, and social media long after they’ve left the Highlands.

In this castle of constant anxiety, the salmon has quietly emerged as the most coveted resource of all.

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