The Best Coffee Is Grown In Honduras, According To Illy

Calling all coffee aficionados! This year's Ernesto Illy International Award for Best of the Best coffee beans was announced yesterday in New York City. José Abelardo Díaz Enamorado's beans grown in Honduras were crowned Best of the Best out of a group of 27 finalists. The award recognizes achievement in growing and harvesting quality beans through sustainable practices

Finalists also hailed from India, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Nicaragua and Guatemala. The top nine finalists will later make up the Illy coffee blend.

The coffee was judged at the United Nations by nine panelists, including Food Republic's editorial director, Richard Martin. Other judges included author Mark Pendergrast, who served as jury chair, Brazilian food and wine writer Josimar Melo, Michelin-rated chef Caterina Ceraudo, founder and publisher of CoffeeTalk magazine Kerri Goodman, assistant professor of business management at the Culinary Institute of America Denise Mazzei and others.