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Laws related to Berachot
What Beracha is recited on papaya?
We recite Bore P’ri Ha’Etz on fruit and Bore P’ri Ha’Adama on vegetables. Is papaya treated as a fruit or a vegetable?
A related issue is whether or not the first three years of a papaya plant’s fruit is treated as ‘Orla and may not be consumed? ‘Orla applies only to fruit and not to vegetables. Most Poskim assume that the Halacha views papaya as a vegetable because the papaya tree displays vegetable-like characteristics in the following two ways: the papaya tree bears fruit in the first year of growth, and the quality of the fruit tends to diminish after the first 4 years, as the plant ages.
Rav Belsky, zt”l suggested that the status of papaya with respect to ‘Orla and Berachot are not necessarily one and the same, and one may recite Ha’Etz on a papaya since it grows on a tree. Still, Rav Belsky thought it best to recite Ha’Etz and Ha’Adama on a separate fruit and vegetable, and then eat the papaya. By doing so, one covers all the bases and satisfies all opinions.
However, the Hazon Ish and Hacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l are of the opinion that if we consider papaya a vegetable with respect to ‘Orla, then a papaya is a vegetable as well in the realm of Berachot, and the proper Beracha is Ha’Adama.
What Beracha does one recite on candied orange peel?
The Mishnah Berura (202:39) writes that there are three opinions as to what Beracha should be recited on candied orange peels. The Taz (OH 204:15) writes that one should recite Ha’Adama, since the Gemara writes that on the peel of the fruit of the caper bush one recites Ha’Adama. The Taz maintains that the same holds true for other peels as well. The Magen Avraham (202:17) writes that one should recite Ha’Etz. Unlike the peel of the caper which separates from the fruit while it grows, the orange peel is part of the fruit. The P’ri Megadim (202:17) writes that the Beracha is Shehakol. He explains that the ‘Ikar (main ingredient) in candied orange peels is the sugar or honey, which is Shehakol. The Mishna Berura concludes that because of the doubt, one should recite Shehakol, since it is the most inclusive Beacha, as is the opinion of the
However, B’Di’avad (after the fact), if one recited Ha’Etz or Ha’Adama, they may rely on the other opinions and eat the peel.