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.
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.
