Salmon is the real “Traitors” power player

​​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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This is not entirely new. Longtime viewers will remember that during the first celebrity season, Phaedra Parks — an all-star Traitor and an early adopter of self-preservation tactics — frequently prioritized securing salmon at breakfast, sometimes while other contestants were still mourning the freshly murdered. In retrospect, Phaedra may not have been cold. She may have just been hungry.

In a recent interview, Eric Nam said Kish was “fearless” in her mission to get better food on set. Nam said there were a few times he secretly delivered packets of miso soup to Kish during filming. “I needed some umami and some salt,” she added. 

“I am grateful to be fed and I understand what a hard job it is to do catering and crafting all of this stuff, I get it. I’m not saying anything about those individuals,” said Kish, “All I’m saying is that I had so many different ideas that could have been more… flavored.” She also noted that at one point she shared a McFlurry with Rob Rausch (jealous). 

Season 4, however, has turned the salmon from a background indulgence into a full-blown subplot. Multiple cast members have confirmed some version of the same thing: if you were late to breakfast, you were out of luck. 

“It was a struggle to get the salmon,” said Real Housewife and former Miss United States Candiace Dillard Bassett to People,  “It was only like two pieces for all 20 of us. If you were last at breakfast, you got no salmon.” 

Maura Higgins has openly complained about missing out, venting about the injustice of arriving to find — once again — that the salmon was gone. Dorinda Medley has described the unspoken rule bluntly: you had to get there early, because once the salmon disappeared, what remained was… less compelling. Monét X Change has admitted that when she did get to the salmon first, she took as much as she could, because you didn’t know when you’d get another chance. 

Mark Ballas posted a TikTok breaking out into dance for “when you get the last piece of smoked salmon at breakfast.” Stephen Colletti made his love for the fish clear, posting a video longingly staring at a full case of salmon in a supermarket. Even Ron Funches joked on Instagram that he wanted some salmon “to go” after he was banished. 

The salmon went fast. People noticed. People cared. Fans have taken it upon themselves to exploit this inner-castle joke even further, posting recipe videos for when you’re craving “‘Traitors’ salmon” and frequently referencing the breakfast dish in their spoofs and satirical content. 

Taken together, these comments paint a picture that feels almost more stressful than the roundtable: a high-stakes morning ritual where timing, luck, and social awareness determine whether you get the one thing on the table that actually feels nourishing.

Unfortunately, I was not able to get an answer from Peacock about whether or not the amount of salmon available and the placement on the table was strategic. However, let me whip out my beige trench coat and magnifying glass as I tell you: My investigation did uncover some interesting questions about the origins of this salmon.

We want what the Traitors are having

Peacock representatives confirmed in an email that the fish at breakfast was “locally sourced Scottish smoked salmon, from various local providers.” They also noted that “it was arranged on platters with a small wedge of lemon and some garnish.” Maybe those were some of the aromatics Kish convinced the team to add to the contestants diet.

“[Kristin] was leading the charge early on and was like, ‘What can we do to get some aromatics introduced to our meals here,’” said Stephen Colletti on a podcast, “We’re just getting like sad chicken over here. Lunchtime would just be like a boiled chicken and it was like, ‘Can we do something?'”

But this is where it gets interesting. When I reached out to Salmon Scotland, the voice of the salmon sector that represents “every company involved in salmon farming in Scotland, as well as other key players along the Scottish salmon supply chain,” its representative could not confirm which farm was providing the salmon. I was left wondering: Is the salmon on “Traitors” really from Scotland? 

After a week of emailing tourism boards, industry groups and award-winning salmon farms, I ended up right back where I started: Salmon Scotland, just to triple-check they didn’t represent the maker. They did not. But on the course of my long international, interweb journey, I did end up with a new name in my back pocket: Acme Smoked Fish.

There’s just one problem. Acme Smoked Fish is based in Brooklyn. Although the company offers many varieties of “Scottish-style” smoked salmon, Brooklyn, New York is notably not Scotland. So I sent an email and waited with bated breath to see if I had finally found the smoked salmon. The next day, I received a response: “Acme Smoked Fish is not the supplier of the salmon featured on The Traitors.”

Sigh.

I hit another wall in my search to find this infamous and supposedly life-changing salmon. A salmon so consistently coral, so perfectly sliced that it melts in your mouth, glistening with so much naturally rich Omega-3s that it’s like a fatty halo shining on the plate. A luxurious, silken bite that may even be worth murdering for… Can you blame me for continuing to search?

We want what the traitors are having.

That said, a spokesperson for Acme Smoked Fish noted that since the show is filmed in Scotland, it is probably sourced locally. They also said they’ve been loving the buzz around smoked salmon on this season of the show. “It’s been so fun to see contestants enjoying smoked salmon on a daily basis… Anytime smoked salmon becomes part of the cultural conversation, it’s a win for the category.”

Salmon as strategy

Of course Peacock won’t confirm my theories about production using the salmon as strategy. But if I know anything about this cast after watching them consistently for the past two months, I can almost guarantee at least one of those divas asked to be in an earlier group to secure a salmon breakfast (I’m looking at you, Johnny and Tara).

Monét X Change said that even though she “loves the UK” it’s not a region known for its food.

“The food in the United Kingdom is not one to be admired, uh, a cuisine that a people like to eat. So when you find something that works, baby, all of us were like, ‘The salmon!’,” she said on a podcast, “We can’t eat these hard ass boiled eggs. We don’t want this mushy salad thing. The salmon. The salmon looked clean… It’s like nice, delicious smoked salmon. So, that’s why the salmon was all the rage — because it was the most edible thing there.”

If everything else on the table was, by consensus, borderline inedible, securing salmon in the morning wasn’t just sustenance. It was a power move. This is where breakfast turns into strategy.

“The Traitors” is exhausting. Filming days are long. Nights run late. Traitors are often awake until the wee hours filming turret scenes. Faithfuls are slowly unraveling as they realize they trust no one. The Scottish weather is cold, gray and relentless. People are being “murdered” before breakfast. I’m shocked that Season 2’s Kate Chastain is the only person who’s begged to be banished.

Under those conditions, food stops being decorative. It becomes functional.

Smoked salmon is high in protein, rich in fat, filling without being heavy — the kind of food that actually stabilizes you. It’s not flashy, but it’s grounding. In a game designed to erode your sense of reality, the salmon becomes something solid. Reliable. A way to start the day feeling like a human being instead of a chess piece.

Which may explain why cast members keep talking about it like it was a lifeline, not a luxury.

A good smoked salmon can change your life

There’s also a geographical logic here. The show is filmed in Scotland, a country far better known for its landscapes than its comfort cuisine. Haggis has its defenders, but it is not, for most Americans, a food you crave under emotional duress.

Scottish smoked salmon, on the other hand, is genuinely excellent. The cold waters, traditional curing methods, and long-standing fishing culture make it one of the country’s most respected exports.

“American consumers have long had an affinity with Scotland and its produce,” said a spokesperson for Salmon Scotland, “The cold, clear waters and strong tidal flows around Scotland’s coast allow salmon to grow steadily, developing the distinctive flavor and texture that has made it a global favorite.”

If you’re going to serve one food well in a castle in the Highlands, salmon is a smart bet. It’s the UK’s top food export, and Scottish salmon exports to the United States were valued at £301 million in 2025 — up 34%  from the previous year. In other words: Americans are already obsessed.

There’s also a clear difference between Scottish salmon and fish of other regions. The most obvious being its vibrant orange color. This salmon definitely stands out on a plate (and on a screen); to the point where I initially thought it might be fake, stage-salmon. But no, Scottish salmon gets its color largely from its diet of shrimp and krill. Some say that the strong currents and cool temperatures of Scottish waters slow the growth of the fish which helps create a more flavorful, buttery texture. In 1992, Scottish salmon was awarded the Label Rouge, a prestigious mark of quality from French authorities indicating a superior food product. It was the first fish and the first non-French product to receive this designation.

“Produced in the west coast, Highlands, and islands of Scotland, the sector provides around 850 million healthy, nutritious meals every year and supports jobs in rural and coastal communities,” said Salmon Scotland, “We are confident demand in the United States will continue to grow.”

By this point in the season, the salmon has become something else entirely: an inside joke between the cast and the audience.

Fans on Reddit joke that the salmon gets more screen time than certain contestants. Viewers half-seriously speculate that hoarding it should be a legitimate reason for murder. “I wonder if they’re intentionally not giving them enough salmon to so create discord and chaos,” said one viewer, “It’s gotta be such good salmon. A good smoked salmon can change your life.”

The breakfast table, once a neutral space, now feels charged with meaning — who arrived first, who looks relaxed, who’s chewing contentedly while others watch. The quest for where the salmon actually comes from — my sole reporting focus for an entire week.

It’s funny because it’s small. And because it’s human.

For all its dramatic speeches and elaborate challenges, The Traitors works best when it reminds us that everyone involved is just tired and hungry. Does it really matter where the salmon comes from? The salmon obsession isn’t really about luxury. It’s about survival. About finding one small, reliable pleasure in a game designed to strip everything else away.

In a castle full of lies, the salmon is a point of camaraderie. And honestly, at this point, we’re all rooting for it.

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