What Beracha does one recite over a banana?
Bananas grow on banana trees, and thus, at first glance, they should be classified as a "fruit" and thus require the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha’etz." In truth, however, banana trees do not qualify for the Halachic definition of a "tree." The banana tree falls apart every year, and then takes root again and begins to grow anew. Halacha does not consider such a plant a "tree," and therefore a banana does not have the Halachic status of a fruit. For this reason, the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 203) rules that over a "Muzish" – the Arabic word for banana – one recites the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha’adama." For the same reason, strawberries are not considered a fruit and thus require the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha’adama."
Another example of a fruit that grows on a tree but is nevertheless considered a vegetable is a papaya. The papaya tree is hollow, and thus cannot be classified as a "tree" according to the Halachic definition of the term. Therefore, over a papaya, too, one recites the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha’adama."
There is some controversy among the Halachic authorities concerning the proper Beracha to recite over a cashew. Although cashews grow on trees, there is another kind of fruit that also grows on the cashew trees, and, according to some authorities, that other fruit is the primary product of the tree. These authorities claim that since the cashew is only the secondary fruit of the tree, it is "downgraded" with regard to Berachot, and its Beracha is "Boreh Peri Ha’adama." Halacha does not follow this view, however, and we indeed recite "Boreh Peri Ha’etz" over cashews. Nowadays, cashews are a multimillion dollar business, whereas few people are even aware of the fact that other fruits also grow on the cashew tree. Undoubtedly, then, the primary product of the tree is – at least nowadays – the cashew, such that it requires the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha’etz."
Many people are unaware of the fact that avocados grow on trees. The proper Beracha over avocados is thus "Boreh Peri Ha’etz," and not "Boreh Peri Ha’adama," as many people mistakenly assume.
Summary: The proper Beracha for bananas, strawberries and papayas is "Boreh Peri Ha’adama." The proper Beracha for cashews and avocados is "Boreh Peri Ha’etz."
