The aroma of authentic multicultural cuisine permeated throughout the UA Mall yesterday as part of the second annual Wildcat World Fair.

Ten campus clubs set up tents with food, clothes and live performances in an effort to bring more cultural awareness to the UA campus and encourage foreign travel. The Associated Students of the University of Arizona sponsored the event.

Countries such as India, Italy, Russia, China, Mexico and Germany were represented at the fair by clubs, including Alpha Phi Gamma, Sigma Lambda Gamma, Lambda Theta Phi, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos, Native Americans in Science and the Baha’i College Club.

The Middle Eastern Club served baklava, while the Krishna Club offered free rosewater to students.

Live performances were showcased throughout the afternoon, with shows from the Krishna Club, the Chinese Summer Thunder music ensemble, a Hawaiian fire dancing group and a show from the TapCats, said Shandy Rivera, a biology sophomore and staff worker at the fair.

Seth Zamar, a microbiology senior and vice president of the Italian Club, said an Italian folk dance called the “”tarantella”” is considered unlucky if not performed in couples.

Its jumpy, upbeat tempo represents an attempt to rid the body from the effects of a tarantula bite, Zamar said.

The Russian Club also performed a folk song that included a fiddle and a classical guitar called a dorma.

Semester at Sea, the study abroad program, and STA Travel helped promote student travel and further cultural awareness of the world, said Samantha Knisley, Wildcat World Fair director.

Last year’s fair was held on Bear Down Field, but since the event was moved to the Mall, student traffic was larger than before, Knisley said.

Jami Reinsch, the administrative vice president of ASUA, said she used the fair as one of her campaign platforms and said the project was put under her branch this year.

“”I think we have a diverse population on campus, but it’s not celebrated enough, and this is a chance to give students the opportunity to get a taste of the different cultures we have at UA,”” Reinsch said.

Stephanie Hartz, last year’s director of the Wildcat World Fair, said although ASUA sponsored the event, all profits from food and beverages went to the individual clubs.

Hartz said the event gave groups a chance to showcase new cultures and traditions to students who may not have known they existed.

“”We have a really diverse group here and students often get wrapped up in their own lives that they miss out on other cultural groups on campus,”” Hartz said. “”This is just an introduction, there’s always room to grow.””