Survivor 48 ended a couple of months ago, and by and large, fans have long moved on from the season. Simply put, the general consensus was that the season fell flat, especially by the merge. There was a steamroll, with little in the way of opposing strategy to stop it. Thus, the season has largely been cast aside as marginal. That said, Kyle Fraser, the season's winner, was quite deserving.
In fact, Kyle is widely considered one of the stronger, more well-rounded winners, certainly of the new era, and in the upper rankings of all winners. He maneuvered some tough moments with a strong, behind-the-scenes strategy, helped establish one of the first ever secret duos between him and Kamilla Kathigesu, was well-liked by the entire cast, and won immunity and reward challenges. He truly ticked all the boxes.
Therefore, Kyle has a lot of insight when it comes to playing the game. Interestingly, though, one of the most commonly asked questions is not about strategy, but about survival. What do the castaways actually eat on Survivor, and what is the best or most important food that Kyle had to get him through the game? Most would assume it was a feast or a reward, but Kyle recently let us all know the truth, and it is not what most fans would expect.
Kyle gives us insight onto the most important food in Fiji
Kyle Fraser recently took to his Instagram, sharing some insight on the burning question on fans' minds- what in the world do castaways eat on the island? In old school seasons, players were given bags of rice or beans to start the game, which they could supplement with other foods they won or found on the island. Often, though, depending on the locale, additional foods were hard to come by.
In the new era, players do not have that fallback food option. That said, as Kyle explains, they do have plenty of supplemental food options on the island of Fiji.
"People forget that in the new era on season 48, there was no rice, but my friend David actually broke it down in a tweet, all the things we did eat. Obviously, we have coconut, fish... papaya. But then there are some things people miss like crab, snails, sea cucumbers... and the question really becomes... whether you want to spend the calories and the resources to go get [the food]."
So, what food item did Kyle feel was most essential to their survival and success on the island?
"There was always one thing that was worth going out and getting because it provided enough calories for us, and that thing was cassava."
He goes on to explain cassava, its poisonous properties, and how essential it is to prepare correctly. Ironically, it was he who first discovered the plant on his tribes starting island, entirely by accident and without knowing what it was.
Check out the entire video here.
So, Cassava? That was the most essential food for the Survivor 48 castaways? I must admit, I did not have that on my 2025 bingo card. That said, what Kyle explains makes sense. Food on the island is all about a cost-benefit analysis. Is the energy spent acquiring something made up for in value once you have it? Cassava is more work than you might think to dig up and acquire, and even cook, but once prepared, the root vegetable carries calories that most other foods available do not.
Also, unlike rewards, the food is a constant source of calories, instead of a one-time or short-term jolt or luxury. On Survivor, players have to keep their calories up throughout the game in order to be able to perform in challenges and keep their minds right for gameplay. Fishing could offer this, but the energy expended fishing, if your tribe has the items to do so, may cost more calories than intake. Thanks to Kyle, we now have a much better understanding of the wide world of Survivor dining. Someone should write a cookbook!