By Rabbi Moshe Elefant

WHAT BRACHA DO YOU MAKE ON KUGEL?

There are different types of kugel, and the bracha depends on the ingredients and how the kugel is prepared.

A carrot kugel that is more cake-like would be a Borei Minei Mezonos.

The same applies to apple kugel. If it is prepared like a cake, the bracha would be Borei Minei Mezonos. However, if it consists primarily of apples with other ingredients mixed in, the bracha would be Borei Pri Ha’etz.

Regarding potato kugel, Rav Belsky, zt”l, held that the bracha is Borei Pri Ha’adamah. The reason is that potato kugel is essentially similar to mashed potatoes.

Generally, when a food is mashed or pureed and loses its original form, its bracha can change to Shehakol. For example, if peas or carrots are pureed until they are no longer recognizable, the bracha would be Shehakol. One might therefore think that mashed potatoes should also be Shehakol. However, the Mishnah Berurah explains that mashed potatoes retain enough of their original texture and identity to maintain their original bracha. Therefore, potato kugel, which is essentially mashed potatoes with additional ingredients, retains the bracha of Borei Pri Ha’adamah.

CAN DRINKING GLASSES BE USED FOR BOTH DAIRY AND MEAT? WHAT’S THE HALACHA?

Sephardim follow the opinion that glass does not absorb; therefore, as long as it is clean, unpainted, and contains no other materials, glasses can be used for both dairy and meat. Ashkenazim follow the opinion that glass can absorb, and should be designated for milk or meat.

However, some poskim are lenient with drinking glasses because they are not used with hot dairy or meat, and are not washed with dairy or meat. Since they remain pareve, they may be used at either a dairy or meat meal, but you cannot put actual milk or meat into the glass.

WHAT BRACHA DO YOU MAKE ON CHOCOLATE?

Since cocoa beans grow on trees, poskim discuss whether the bracha on chocolate should be Ha’eitz.

However, the custom is to make a Shehakol, since cocoa beans are too bitter to eat on their own and must be processed and combined with other Shehakol ingredients, such as sugar.