Metropolitan College Associate Professor of the Practice and Director of Gastronomy Megan Elias recently joined The Colin McEnroe Show to discuss an interesting food topic—what people keep in their kitchen.

Some items are more common than others. One survey cited during the show found that there are a few utensils that can be found in almost all kitchens—with more than 90% of respondents attesting to owning can openers, measuring cups, and spatulas.

But as Dr. Elias explained, not everything is universal, thanks to the role of cultural specificity.

“Things that will seem totally necessary in some households will never be heard of in other households,” she said.

As Dr. Elias sees it, cookware is one more pathway to perceiving deeper knowledge of the human condition.

“I think our kitchen equipment really [is] a mini autobiography, in the way CD cases use to be,” she said. “You can tell a lot about where people want to spend their time, what kinds of things they enjoy, and how competent they feel, as well.”

This unique topic is an example of the diverse kinds of knowledge students can develop in earning their Master of Arts in Gastronomy at BU MET.

Listen to the complete story at Connecticut Public Radio.