The Potato in Halacha In Yiddish a potato is called a kartufel. The reason why it is called a kartufel is because the potato which was meant to be a tufel food has been made into an ikur.1 The potato is a vegetable that was not around in the days of the Gemorah or Rishonim. Although, the potato first reached the shores of North America in the 18th century, the current value of the world potato market is 100 billion dollars. Can we imagine a world without potato kugel, latkes or french fries? Horav Avigdor Miller zt”l said we have a great zechus that the potato is part of our diet. The Gemorah2 mentions many steps one has to follow in order to put bread on his table, while potatoes can be prepared straight from the soil. This is something to think about the next time we recite a beracha on a potato. There are many halachos that apply to this wonderful vegetable which is eaten daily by millions of people. Making Designs out of a Potato Sometimes one wishes to take a potato, cut it into different shapes and put some coloring etc on it to decorate it. This is done as art project etc. to make the potato look good. However, one should not do this to a potato since it is a disgrace for the potato, and one is not allowed to treat foods in a disrespectful manner.3 Beracha Rishona There are many poskim who maintain that the correct beracha rishona on a potato is shehakol. Their reason is because the potato does not really grow from the ground, rather it grows from air around the ground.4 However, the concensus of most poskim is that the beracha on a potato is indeed hadama.5 Unless one has the custom to recite shehakol on a potato he should recite hadama like the majority custom of klal yisroel. 1 Refer to Hamodia Magazine 29 Av 5766:page 3. 2 Shabbos 74b. 3 Avnei Yushfei 1:34:3. Refer to E’ven Yisroel 9:63, Birchos Hashem 3:12:page 235:footnote 47 in depth. 4 Refer to Lekutei Maharich page 127 (old), Divrei Yatziv O.C. 1:82, Shulchan Hatohar 204:3, Zer Zahav 2, Pnei Ha’shulchan page 367, Shraga Hameir 4:11:3, 6:119, Mekor Ha’beracha page 69:52. 5 Darchei Chaim V’Sholom 292:page 91, Imrei Yosher 2:113:3, Orchos Chaim (Spinka) 204:3, Igros Moshe O.C. 1:60, Oz Nedberu 11:48, Betzel Hachuchma 6:83, Minhag Yisroel Torah 204:pages 336-337, Kranei D’igrisa 2:88:pages 97-98, Sharei Ha’beracha 23:footnote 771, Piskei Teshuvos 203:2, Vezos Ha’beracha page 371, Rivevos Ephraim 3:124, 4:177, Yalkut Yosef 203:10:footnote 10. 1 Raw Potatoes A food which is not edible does not require a beracha rishona should one wish to eat it.6 Accordingly, one would not recite a beracha rishona before eating a raw potato since it is not edible.7 For this reason some poskim say that a raw potato is muktzah on Shabbos and may not be moved.8 However, since on Yom Tov cooking is permitted, one may move (and use) a raw potato.9 Borekas The custom is to recite mezonos on borekas since they have a thick crust made from flour.10 Mashed/Instant Potatoes A vegetable which is mashed to the point that one cannot recognize the type of vegetable it was originally requires a shehakol.11 If one recited a hadama on a vegetable that is mashed and not recognizable the beracha is valid b’dieved.12 Accordingly, if potatoes were mashed to the point that they are not recognizable (i.e. in an electric blender) the beracha is shehakol.13 However, in many cases one can still tell that the mashed food is potato and therefore, the minhag haolom14 is that the beracha would still be a hadama.15 Potatoes that were mashed by hand definitely require a hadama since one can easily see that the food is potato.16 6 Shulchan Aruch 196:1, 204:2. 7 Refer to V’sein Beracha page 420:footnote 69, Rivevos Ephraim 7:335, 349: pages 444-445, 8:440, Piskei Teshuvos 205:footnote 12. Refer to Sharei Ha’beracha 17:24:footnote 44. Some say to recite a shehakol on a raw potato see Birchos Haneinin 26:3, Rivevos Ephraim 7:349. 8 V’sein Beracha page 420:footnote 69, Sefer Tiltulei Shabbos page 103:footnote 23 quoting the opinion of Horav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, Ketzos Ha’Shabbos 4:3, Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchoso 20:28, Shalmei Yehuda 7:14:50-51. 9 Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchoso 21:footnote 17. Potato starch is muktzah because there is no use for it on Shabbos (Shalmei Yehuda 8:7). 10 Sharei Ha’beracha page 523, Binyan Sholom page 222, Pnei Ha’shulchan page 64. One does not recite a beracha on borekas eaten during a meal if it is eaten for satiation (V’haish Mordechai pages 270-271). In regard to bishul akum on borekas made in America see Yabea Omer Y.D. 10:7. 11 Refer to Shulchan Aruch 202:7, Rama, Levush 7, Magen Avraham 16, Mishanh Berurah 42,43, Biur Halacha 202 “tmarim,” Mishnah Berurah 208:38, see Vezos Ha’beracha birur halacha 16. 12 Rama 202:7, Shulchan Aruch Harav 202:17, V’sein Beracha page 404. 13 Rivevos Ephraim 3:124, Vezos Ha’beracha 12:1, Ohr L’tzyion 2:14:2, Sharei Ha’beracha 23:footnote 593, also see page 657:footnote 568, Laws Of Brachos page 377, Refer to Pischei Halacha 9:55. 14 V’sein Beracha page 406:footnote 38 quoting the opinions of Horav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l, Horav Elyahsiv and Horav Sheinberg Shlita. Refer to Yabea Omer O.C. 7:29. 15 Horav Yisroel Belsky Shlita, see Mekor Ha’beracha page 28, Sharei Ha’beracha 17:35:footnote 75, Vezos Ha’beracha page 238, V’sein Beracha page 406:footnote 38, Avnei Yushfei 1:44:1, Be’er Moshe 2:12:5. 2 In regard to instant potatoes, since after one adds a little water to the powder one can tell that the food is potato, the beracha remains hadama (see footnote).17 Potato Kugel/Latkes If the potato ingredients are processed in a way that one no longer recognizes the mixture as potato, the beracha on the potato kuglel or latkes would be shehakol.18 However, in many cases one can still recognize that the mixture is potato and the beracha would still be hadama.19 Some say that even if the potatoes where ground to the point that they are not recognizable the beracha is still hadama because the derech of potatoes is for them to be mashed in this manner.20 Nevertheless, the custom of many people is to recite a shehakol on potato kugel in any case.21 Potato Starch If the flour is edible and one has enjoyment from eating it, then one would recite the beracha of shehakol on it.22 Some say one can eat food made from potato starch and be yotzei the inyun of pas shacharis with it.23 The beracha recited on cake made from potato starch is shehakol.24 Potato Chips Potato chips are made by thinly slicing potatoes and deep frying them. Therefore, the beracha on potato chips is hadama.25 The same halacha applies to potato sticks.26 16 Yaavetz birchos haneinin kuf:18:page 512, Vezos Ha’beracha page 102, see Ohr L’tzyion 2:14:2. 17 Vezos Ha’beracha page 101, V’sein Beracha page 407:footnote 39 quoting the opinions of Horav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l and Horav Elyashiv Shlita, Sharei Ha’beracha page 657. Some say one recites shehakol on them (Piskei Teshuvos 202:19). 18 Refer to footnote 11, also see Sharei Ha’beracha page 583:footnote 298, Avnei Yushfei 1:44:1, Laws Of Brachos page 305 and 377. Some say this is the minhag haolom (Teshuvos V’hanhugos 3:74). 19 Horav Yisroel Belsky Shlita, see Vezos Ha’beracha page 239, Halichos Shlomo Moadim 17:12:footnote 17. 20 Be’er Moshe ibid. Refer to V’sein Beracha page 408:footnote 40:1. Refer to Pischei Halacha page 383 who argues. 21 Sharei Ha’beracha 17:footnote 75. Refer to Pnei Ha’shulchan pages 97-99 for an explanation on this practice. 22 Sharei Ha’beracha page 710:footnote 772. 23 Refer to V’haish Mordechai pages 276-278. 24 V’sein Beracha page 474. If one recites hadoma on a piece of cake made from potato starch on Pesach he was yotzei b’dieved (V’sein Beracha page 411:footnote 46). 25 Igros Moshe Y.D. 4:48:5, Be’er Moshe 2:12:3, Vezos Ha’beracha page 103 quoting the opinion of Horav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l, Sharei Ha’beracha 1:34. If they are made from potato flour some say it is shehakol (Sharei Ha’beracha page 668:footnote 607). 26 The Laws of Brachos page 377. 3 Pringles® Pringles® are not made the same way a regular potato chip is made. Pringles® potato chips were introduced in 1969 by Procter and Gamble. Pringles® are made from potatoes that have been cooked, mashed, dehydrated, and then reconstituted into dough. They are then cut into a uniform shape and then quick fried. The poskim discuss which beracha to make on them. Some say Pringles® are considered to have been made form potato flour and therefore the beracha would be a shehakol.27 Others say since it is noticeable that one is eating potato when eating Pringles® the beracha is still hadama, 28 and this is the minhag ha’olom.29 Potato Knish A knish which has a layer of dough which completely surrounds the potato (i.e.