# Is "The Taste of Country Cooking" by Edna Lewis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis (Alfred A. Knopf, 1976) is identified by: True first follows Knopf convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing line; 1976 copyright. The US Knopf 1976 hardcover is the true first; confirm via the stated 'First Edition' slug and the hardcover (not Vintage paperback) format.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first follows Knopf convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing line
- 1976 copyright
- Hardcover in dust jacket, a Borzoi book edited by Judith Jones
- The ISBN 0-394-73215-4 (978-0394732152) is the Vintage trade-paperback reissue format, not the original hardcover first
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edna Lewis |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first follows Knopf convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing line |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first follows Knopf convention: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with no later-printing line; 1976 copyright. Hardcover in dust jacket, a Borzoi book edited by Judith Jones. The ISBN 0-394-73215-4 (978-0394732152) is the Vintage trade-paperback reissue format, not the original hardcover first.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf 1976 hardcover is the true first; confirm via the stated 'First Edition' slug and the hardcover (not Vintage paperback) format. Anniversary editions (30th, 50th) are later 'first thus' reissues with new forewords.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Vintage paperback and later anniversary editions are reprints, not the first. Book-club-style copies lack the 'First Edition' statement and the original jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Taste of Country Cooking* by Edna Lewis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-taste-of-country-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.