487. The Five Species of Grain

Brachos 3:1

There are five species of grain: wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt. Rye is considered a sub-category of wheat, while oats and spelt are considered sub-categories of barley. These five species, when in their stalks, are called “tevuah.” After being threshed and winnowed, they are considered grain. After they have been milled and the resulting flour has been kneaded and baked, they are called bread. Bread of these grains is just called “bread” without any other qualifier being necessary (as opposed to, say, corn bread).

Brachos 3:2

Before eating bread, one recites the bracha “Who brings forth bread from the earth” (HaMotzi). After eating bread, one recites the four brachos of grace after meals (birkas hamazon, AKA “bentching”). Before eating grain that has been cooked but not turned into flour, one recites the bracha of borei pri ho’adamah, that God has created the fruit of the ground. Afterwards, one recites the bracha of borei nefashos. Before eating flour, one recites the bracha of shehakol; afterwards, he recites borei nefashos.