The Bracha on Latkes

Q. What Beracha should be recited on potato latkes?

A. This is a matter of dispute. Although the beracha on potatoes is Ho’adama, latkes may be different because they are made from grated or blended potatoes. We find two sources in halacha for the beracha on processed fruits and vegetables. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 202:7) writes that the beracha on mashed dates is Borei Pri Ha’eitz. The Mishnah Berurah (202:40) adds that mashed potatoes are similar to mashed dates and the beracha is Ho’adama. On the other hand, the Rama quotes two opinions about the proper beracha on fruit jam. Some say Shehakol and others say Ha’eitz? The Rama concludes that because of the uncertainty, it is best to recite Shehakol on jam. Should we compare latkes to mashed potatoes and recite Ho’adama, or to jam and recite Shehakol? This question is difficult to answer because the texture of latkes is somewhere in the middle between mashed potatoes and jam. What also adds to the complexity of this issue is that the poskim offer a range of explanations why fruit jam is Shehakol but mashed dates and potatoes are Hoadoma (see Mishnah Berurah ibid. and Piskei Teshuvos 202:15). Because of these questions, poskim have divergent views about the proper beracha on latkas and potato kugel. Some say Shehakol and others say Ho’adoma. A third group of poskim distinguish between latkes made from hand grated batters where one can see strands of potatoes (in which case Ho’adama is recited), as opposed to batters prepared in food processors where the potatoes are more finely ground (in which case the beracha is Shehakol). Rav Belsky maintained that in all instances, the beracha on potato latkes and kugel is Ho’adama.

As an aside, Rav Belsky heard fro Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l that the beracha on reconstituted powdered potatoes is Ho’adama.

Rav Soloveitchik zt”l (Nefesh HaRav pg. 149) holds that pureed vegetables although they lose their form, retain the bracha of Ha’odama. Accordingly, the bracha on peanut butter is Ha’odama. The basis for this is Shulchan Aruch (OC 205:2). Shulchan Aruch states that the bracha on vegetable soup is Ha’odama, even if all the vegetables have been removed from the soup. Even though vegetable soup minus the vegetables does not retain any of the shape of the vegetables, nevertheless the bracha remains Ha’odama. It stands to reason that pureed vegetables should not be worse than soup. According to this approach, (which does not follow the ruling of Rama 208:8), the bracha on peanut butter remains Ha’odama.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.