Halacha: What Blessing is Said on a Potato?
Curious about which blessings to recite for a potato, both before and after eating? Here's all the essential information, including guidance on the required quantity of consumption.
- הידברות
- פורסם כ"ב חשון התשע"ז
#VALUE!
For the potato, the blessing is 'Ha'adama' (the first blessing)
At the end of eating, the blessing 'Borei Nefashot' is said (the blessing after eating)
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Criteria for the amount eaten to necessitate the final blessing (from the "Daily Halacha" by the rulings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef ZT"L):
For anything a person eats, they must recite a "first blessing" like "Shehakol" or "Ha'etz". Even if one eats only a small amount of that food, they must say a blessing, provided the intent is consumption. (However, if one only tastes it to adjust seasoning, no blessing is required.) Therefore, someone chewing flavored gum, despite swallowing only a small amount, must bless due to enjoying the taste of the gum. Similarly, one who drinks something, even just a sip, must bless it.
All this pertains specifically to the initial blessing. The final blessing is only recited when one has consumed a "significant amount". A significant eating amount is the size of a "k'zayit", approximately twenty-seven grams. In drinking, the quantity is "r'vi'it", about eighty-one grams.
Moreover, the eating or drinking must occur within a timeframe for the consumption to be considered joined. Eating a "k'zayit" of bread in crumbs spread throughout a day obviously does not warrant the blessing of 'Birkat Hamazon'. The entire "k'zayit" should be consumed within a timeframe known as "Achilat Pras". There's debate among authorities about this duration, with some suggesting five minutes and others seven and a half minutes (there are other opinions too). Therefore, it's best to always consume a "k'zayit" (especially during Shabbat meals) within four and a half minutes to satisfy all views.
Regarding the final blessing for drinks, one must drink a "r'vi'it" (eighty-one grams) all at once. If there's a pause between sips, no final blessing is said. Therefore, when eating soup with a spoon, no final blessing is made because a "r'vi'it" wasn't consumed all at once. Similarly, when drinking hot coffee or tea, a final blessing isn't made because it's not drunk all at once.
