Which Beracha does one recite before eating falafel?
Of course, if a person eats a falafel in a sandwich, then he recites "Ha'mosi" over the bread and this Beracha covers all the other foods in the sandwich, including the salad and the falafel balls. The question we address is which Beracha one should recite if he eats falafel balls alone.
Falafel is made by grinding chickpeas, adding spices and flour, rolling the paste into balls, and then frying them in oil. At first glance, one might compare the falafel in this respect to the case addressed by the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 202:7) of one who eats dates that were crushed into a paste. The Shulhan Aruch ruled that despite the fact that the dates have undergone a fundamental change in form, they nevertheless retain their original status as fruit and thus require the Beracha of "Bore Peri Ha'etz." Similarly, one might argue, the ground chickpeas should perhaps retain their initial status, and thus falafel should require the same Beracha as the original chickpeas – "Bore Peri Ha'adama." Alternatively, one might contend that the presence of flour in the falafel should require the recitation of "Bore Mine Mezonot."
Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, in his work Halichot Olam (vol. 2; listen to audio for precise citation), rules that one who eats falafel without bread recites the Beracha of "She'hakol." He explains that the presence of flour does not require "Mezonot" because flour is added only as a bonding agent, to keep the mixture together. A basic rule in the laws of Berachot dictates that when flour is added purely to act as an adhesive, rather than for taste or nourishment, it does not affect the food's Beracha. Hacham Ovadia likewise dismisses the argument that one should recite "Ha'adama," noting that the falafel bears no resemblance in appearance or taste to the original chickpeas. Unlike the crushed date, which resembles the original fruit in all respects except external form, the falafel differs fundamentally both in taste and in form from the original chickpeas, and thus it cannot be identified as a vegetable. Hence, it requires the Beracha of "She'hakol."
This is also the position of Rabbi Moshe Halevi (Israel, 1961-2001), in his work Birkat Hashem (vol. 3, p. 99).
What Beracha does one recite on "Amardin," or fruit leather?
Hacham Ovadia, in his annotation to Halichot Olam (ibid.; listen to audio for precise citation), cites the ruling of Rabbi Yosef Yedid Halevi who held that fruit leather requires the Beracha of "She'hakol." Since the taste of the fruit leather differs significantly from the original fruit, it cannot be compared to the aforementioned case of crushed dates, and it does not require the Beracha of "Bore Peri Ha'etz." This ruling applies even to fruit leather that is produced from real fruit; it goes without saying that the common "fruit rollups," which are generally made mainly with artificial flavoring, require "She'hakol" and not "Bore Peri Ha'etz."
What Beracha does one recite over sesame candies – hardened sesame seeds glazed with sugar or honey?
Sesame candies both look and taste like the original sesame seeds, and this case thus differs from foods such as falafel and fruit leather, which bear no resemblance to their original ingredients. Hence, as Hacham Ovadia Yosef rules in Halichot Olam (ibid. p. 103; listen to audio for precise citation), one who eats these candies recites the Beracha of "Bore Peri Ha'adama."
Summary: One who eats falafel balls without bread recites "She'hakol," as does one who partakes of fruit leather, regardless of whether it is made from real fruit or from artificial flavorings. One who eats sweetened sesame candies recites the Beracha of "Bore Peri Ha'adama."
