As part of the run-up to 2024, popular food platform TasteAtlas has been releasing its rankings and ratings on the best of 2023 as voted by its readers. As part of that series, they’ve recently announced the Top 150 Most Iconic Cookbooks in the world, the ones that influenced and shaped the course of culinary history, and one Indian cookbook has been named among the Top 10.
The revered ‘An Invitation to Indian Cooking’ by Madhur Jaffery was named at the 9th spot on the list. Originally published in 1973, it was one of the first cookbooks that offered audiences in the West an insight into the true complexity of Indian cuisine. The cookbook was written while Jaffrey lived in New York’s Greenwich village and soon became known among her wide circle of friends for serving the best and most authentic Indian food in the city. She started writing down her recipes and distributing them among curious admirers and that soon led her to pen down the entire book, introducing American audiences to the lesser-known recipes from India, dismantling myths about Indian cuisine and peppering in some anecdotes along the way. It’s mention on this list is a testament to how this book shaped so many peoples’ understanding of Indian food and even though she’s written over 30 cookbooks though the span of her career, this is still one of the most beloved.
There were a few more Indian cookbooks that made the list including Meera Sodha's 'Made in India: Recipes from an Indian Family Kitchen,' which came in at number 25 and is called "a celebration of everyday cooking in Indian households.” ‘Classic Indian Cooking’ by Julie Sahni appears next at number 31 and is a guide to the fundamentals of Indian cooking and is closely followed by 'The Indian Cooking Course,' by Monisha Bharadwaj at number 33 which offers step-by-step instructions that are perfect for both beginner and experienced chefs to explore Indian food. ‘Indian Vegetarian Cooking’ by Jack Santa Maria enters at the 69th spot and celebrates the versatility of vegetarian dishes and spices in the Indian kitchen.
The top spot is of course, the iconic work, 'The Escoffier Cookbook and Guide to the Fine Art of Cookery' by Auguste Escoffier which despite being published in 1921 is still a must-have cookbook for almost every professional chef. With 2973 recipes and detailed insights, it’s the bible for anyone learning the art of traditional French cuisine.