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What blessing is said before banana? And after?

Q: What blessing is said before banana? And after?

Before: Pri Ha'Adama, after; Borei Nefashot Although bananas grow on what looks like a tall 'tree,' the banana plant is technically an herb, its trunk is not truly woody and does not survive to produce fruit the next year in the same way trees do. Therefore, the halachic classification of a banana is 'pri ha'adama' (fruit of the ground), not 'pri ha'etz' (fruit of the tree). The after-blessing is 'Borei Nefashot.' This is a commonly tested question because it highlights that Jewish law classifies plants based on their botanical nature, not their appearance.

Before: Pri Ha'Adama, after; Borei Nefashot

Source: Shulchan Aruch OC 203

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