The Gemara in Masechet Berachot (38) discusses the status of certain vegetables that are more commonly eaten cooked than raw. When it comes to these vegetables, the Gemara establishes, one who eats them in a raw state would recite the Beracha of "She’hakol," rather than "Boreh Peri Ha’adama," because he does not eat the food in its usual manner. One would recite the Beracha of "Ha’adama" over such vegetables only if they are cooked.
Therefore, one who picks an olive off a tree and eats it in its present state, without its having been softened through pickling or boiling, would recite the Beracha of "She’hakol," rather than "Ha’etz." Likewise, one who chews a raw potato would recite "She’hakol," instead of "Ha’adama." This applies as well to raw squash, raw string beans, raw beets, and raw cabbage that has not been pickled. In all these situations, one would recite the Beracha of "She’hakol," since he does not eat the food in the state in which it is normally eaten. One who eats these foods after they are cooked recites the Beracha of "Ha’adama."
When it comes to some other foods, however, the opposite is true: cooking serves to "downgrade" the food from the Beracha of "Ha’adama" to the Beracha of "She’hakol." One example is garlic. Since garlic is more commonly eaten raw, one who eats raw garlic recites the Beracha of "Ha’adama," whereas one who eats garlic after it is cooked recites "She’hakol." Some people like to place garlic on the grill to soften it; in such a case, the Beracha would be "She’hakol," rather than "Ha’adama."
Tosafot (commentaries to the Talmud by Medieval French and German scholars) note that there is yet a third category, namely, foods that are commonly eaten both raw and cooked. When it comes to these foods, the Beracha is the same in both situations. One who eats an apple, for example, recites "Boreh Peri Ha’etz" regardless of whether he eats it raw or cooked, since apples are commonly eaten in both conditions. The same would apply to carrots, which require the Beracha of "Ha’adama" regardless of whether they are raw or cooked.
The basic rule, then, is that one recites "Ha’etz" or "Ha’adama" only when he eats the fruit or vegetable in the state in which it is normally eaten. If he eats it in a different state, then he recites "She’hakol." If the food is commonly eaten in both conditions, then one recites "Ha’etz" or "Ha’adama" in either case.
Summary: If a fruit or vegetable is commonly eaten only after it is cooked, and not raw, then one who eats it cooked recites "Ha’etz" or "Ha’adama," and one who eats it raw recites "She’hakol." Common examples of such foods are olives, potatoes, string beans, squash and beets. Conversely, if a vegetable is more commonly eaten raw, as in the case of garlic, then one who eats it raw recites "Ha’adama" whereas one who eats it cooked recites "She’hakol." Foods that are commonly eaten in both conditions, such as apples and carrots, require the same Beracha (Ha’etz for apples, Ha’adama for carrots) regardless of the state in which they are eaten.
