The food practices of Muslim youth from the Ural Federal University

This article studies the food practices of Muslim students living in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Religious food practice is understood as a set of actions and interactions of individuals and groups, regulated by religious prescriptions and norms aimed at the realization of religious needs in eating behavior. The results of a sociological survey of Muslim students in 2019 show that, along with traditional eating behaviors, the younger generation implements regional food habits, including confectionery, and consumes national dishes typical for residents of the Central Asia. The inclusion of confectionery in the diet as a type of «fast food», and the focus on individual food consumption, can be described as a partial transformation in the food practices of the younger generation of Muslims. In a globalized and standardized context Muslim, food practices change with the social context. The investigation of such changes is relevant because this change affects the lifestyle and quality of life of Muslim youth. Religious food practices are linked with groups and individual practices for religious needs. The analysis of Muslim food practices reveals the specificity of regional food traditions and innovations. It is argued that food practices serve as a marker of an individual’s identity and status. The results showed these food practices synthesized some characteristics of typical food behavior in the Urals and Central Asia. Modernization is embodied in their food practices fragmentally and is manifested in the high consumption of fast food and the individual organization of food practices. Although these changes were observable in Central Ural cities, they could not be called widespread and might be minimal in peripheral towns.