The points of issue
First printing per Harper & Row convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing code; 1972 copyright (ISBN 0-06-012344-3). About 378 pp., rust cloth-covered boards, drawings by Sidonie Coryn, color illustrations. Kennedy's first book; foreword by Craig Claiborne.
Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Row 1972 is the true first; confirm via the stated 'First Edition' plus the matching 1972 copyright. A 1986 revised and expanded edition is a later 'first thus.'
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later trade printings drop the 'First Edition' statement; the 1986 revision and later Clarkson Potter consolidations (e.g., The Essential Cuisines of Mexico) are not the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Cuisines of Mexico a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First printing per Harper & Row convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing code; 1972 copyright (ISBN 0-06-012344-3). About 378 pp., rust cloth-covered boards, drawings by Sidonie Coryn, color illustrations. Kennedy's first book; foreword by Craig Claiborne.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Harper & Row 1972 is the true first; confirm via the stated 'First Edition' plus the matching 1972 copyright. A 1986 revised and expanded edition is a later 'first thus.'
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Book-club and later trade printings drop the 'First Edition' statement; the 1986 revision and later Clarkson Potter consolidations (e.g., The Essential Cuisines of Mexico) are not the first.
I have a first edition of The Cuisines of Mexico — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.