¿No has comido milanesa? ¡Qué tristeza!

"You've never eaten milanesa? How sad!" In my opinion, the milanesa (meal-a-nace-ah) is the best dish in Argentina and the entire world. A tender, thin slice of beef or chicken (chicken is the one shown in the picture) is covered with an egg-based mixture and then covered with bread crumbs. The milanesa is then fried, most often in cooking oil and then served with mashed potatoes, fries, a tomato salad, or even rice. Variations of the plain milanesa include milanesas topped with fried eggs, mayonnaise, ham, cheese, tomato sauce, lemons, and whatever else you want. If you would like to try a milanesa (Trust me; you do!), make one! Check out this recipe. If you don't trust your kitchen skills, find one of the many Argentine restaurants in the United States. You will not be disappointed!


The name milanesa also shows an interesting aspect of Argentina's ethnic and culinary heritage. The word milanesa literally refers to someone or something from Milan, Italy. Much of Argentina's cuisine is based on European, and especially Italian, foods and recipes. Like Italians, Argentines love pasta-based dishes and frequently eat variations of Italian dishes such as gnocci, ravioli, spaghetti, and more. Argentina, as seen by its foods, is a melting pot many cultures that its residents and their ancestors brought from Europe over the past few hundred years.