Daily Halacha: What Defines a Single Species for the Shehecheyanu Blessing?

If someone begins eating a new fruit but forgets to say Shehecheyanu, can they still say it afterward?

If someone tasted a new seasonal fruit like a fresh fig or pomegranate and then realized after eating that they forgot to say Shehecheyanu, they may not go back and say the blessing. This is because the Shehecheyanu is meant to be said either when seeing the fruit or at the start of eating it, and once the moment has passed, so has the opportunity for the blessing.

However, if the person is still in the middle of the first eating, such as having a bunch of grapes and only having eaten one or two, they are still considered to be in the act of eating. In that case, they may still say Shehecheyanu, since they haven’t yet finished the experience of eating the fruit.
This halacha appears in Chazon Ovadia.

What counts as one species for the purpose of Shehecheyanu?

When it comes to similar types of fruit, the halacha gives clear guidance.

For example, black and white figs, or red and green grapes, are considered the same species. If someone already said Shehecheyanu on one type, they do not say it again on the other.

But if the fruits are clearly different in name, appearance, and taste, then they are considered different species, and you would recite Shehecheyanu again on the new one. This helps ensure we show proper appreciation for each unique seasonal fruit that Hashem has given us.
This is explained in Chazon Ovadia.

From “Ach Tov VaChesed – Daily Halacha” by Hidabroot