Milanesa is a form of breaded cutlet in Latin American cuisine that is mainly associated with the Southern Cone and the Río de la Plata region. Although known throughout the region, it is closely tied to the cuisine of Argentina, where it is considered a quintessential national dish and a cultural mainstay. Milanesa is a derivative of cotoletta alla milanese, an Italian dish typical of the city of Milan in which a bone-in rib of veal is used, which is breaded and fried in clarified butter. The original recipe disseminated to other nations via the Italian diaspora, which in Argentina constituted the largest immigrant community in the country as part of a massive wave of European immigration from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Argentine milanesas are typically made with lean, boneless cuts of beef, although chicken, pork and fish milanesas are also common, as well as vegetarian varieties such as eggplant or legumes like soy beans and chickpeas.