Halacha: What Blessing Do You Say Over Butter?

On butter, you say the blessing 'Shehakol' (initial blessing)

And at the end of eating, you recite 'Borei Nefashot' (concluding blessing)

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The quantity of eating required to be obligated in a concluding blessing (from "Halacha Yomit" based on the rulings of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of blessed memory):

For anything a person eats, they must recite an "initial blessing" over it, such as the "Shehakol" or "Ha'etz" blessing. Even if they eat only a small amount of the food, they must bless it, as long as it is consumed for the sake of eating. (However, if one only tastes a food to correct it by adding spices and such, no blessing is required for this tasting.) Therefore, someone who chews flavored gum, even though they swallow very little of it, still must bless for enjoying the flavor of the chewing gum. Similarly, one who drinks anything must bless it even if they drink only a drop of that beverage.

However, all this applies only to the initial blessing. A concluding blessing is only recited when one has eaten an "important consumption," which is a quantity of "kezayit," meaning twenty-seven grams, and in drinking, the quantity is "revi'it," which is eighty-one grams.

In addition, the eating or drinking must occur within a time period where the consumption can be considered a single event. Indeed, if a person eats over the course of an entire day a quantity of "kezayit" of bread, crumb by crumb, surely they cannot recite the Grace After Meals. Rather, the "kezayit" consumption must occur entirely within the time of "eating pras," and the authorities are divided on how long this time is. Some say it is five minutes, and others say seven and a half minutes (and there are additional opinions). Therefore, it is wise to always be cautious to eat a "kezayit" (especially during Shabbat meals) within four and a half minutes to cover all opinions.

Regarding a concluding blessing over a beverage, one must drink a revi'it of the liquid (which is eighty-one grams) in one go. If they drink and pause between sips, they do not say a concluding blessing. Therefore, someone who drinks soup with a spoon does not bless for drinking that soup since they did not consume a revi'it in one go. Similarly, someone drinking coffee or tea while it's hot does not say a concluding blessing, as they cannot drink it all at once.