# Is "An Invitation to Indian Cooking" by Madhur Jaffrey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of An Invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (Alfred A. Knopf, 1973) is identified by: Knopf first-edition convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing line; 1973 copyright (ISBN 0-394-48172-0). The US Knopf 1973 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf first-edition convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing line
- 1973 copyright (ISBN 0-394-48172-0)
- Decorated coverboards and endpapers; line illustrations by the author
- About 285 pp
- Jaffrey's first book; later inducted into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Madhur Jaffrey |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf first-edition convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing line |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Knopf first-edition convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing line; 1973 copyright (ISBN 0-394-48172-0). Decorated coverboards and endpapers; line illustrations by the author. About 285 pp. Jaffrey's first book; later inducted into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame (2006).

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf 1973 is the true first. The UK edition (Jonathan Cape, 1976) is a later 'first thus.' Confirm via the 'First Edition' statement and the original dust jacket, which is often absent on surviving copies.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Knopf printings drop the 'First Edition' line; the Vintage paperback (ISBN 0-375-71211-9) is a much later reissue. No prominent book-club issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *An Invitation to Indian Cooking* by Madhur Jaffrey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/an-invitation-to-indian-cooking
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.