Shalom Aleichem Harav
Q. What is the bracha for french fries that contain flour for taste?
I know we say that as long as its not for binding its mezonos but when your dealing with 95% potato and 5% flour is it too little to dominate the hadomoh?
A. Shulchan Aruch (O.H. 208: 2,3) rules that due to the importance of the basic five grain products, any food which is made of flour from one of these grains is mezonos and the brocho achrona is al hamichya. The above applies even if there is a majority of other ingredients, as long as the purpose of adding flour is to fill one up, give a taste to the food, or make the food more fit for consumption. However, the above is only true when the taste of the flour is recognizable. (Mishna Berura 208: 49 and Biur Halocho).
Letorah Vehoroah (5: 21) rules that for fish cutlets fried with bread crumbs or matza meal, the brocho is shehakol. Vessen Brocho (p. 78) quotes contemporary Poskim who maintain that if the batter is thick, the brocho is mezonos.
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that french fries that contain only a small amount of flour the brocho should be haadomoh, since the flour taste is used to subdue the flavor of the fries. The Rov pointed to Avnei Nezer (1: 38) for a similar ruling when the flower is used for binding.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a
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