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Introduction to Food Fore-Blessings (Bracha Rishona): The Five Grains
Bread or Mezonot: Intended Use
Whether a food made of the Five Grains qualifies as bread (ha'motzi) or mezonot (borei minei mezonot) depends on whether the food was intended to be eaten as a meal or as a snack, as follows:
  • Bread for a meal: Say ha'motzi.
  • Mezonot (but you will eat a full meal): Say ha'motzi.
  • A snack (including bread as a snack): Say borei minei mezonot.
    Note Some foods may qualify as either ha'motzi or mezonot (such as pizza).
    Note Whether the bread/mezonot was made with fruit juice instead of water may not affect its blessing, since the blessing is determined by the food's intended use. “Mezonot” rolls on airline flights may still require the blessing of ha'motzi if you eat them as part of a meal.
    Note Bread that has been cut into small pieces and fried may be reduced in status from bread to mezonot.
Bread/Mezonot: Amount of Five Grains Needed
In a non-bread food containing a mixture of grains, at least 20\% of the main ingredients must be from one of the Five Grains in order to require the fore-blessing (bracha rishona) of borei minei mezonot (after-blessing:al ha'michya).
If at least 20\% of a bread's flour is from one of the Five Grains, say a fore-blessing of ha'motzi (and birkat ha'mazon afterward if you ate at least 1.3 fl. oz. within four minutes).
Note If you do not know the actual percent of each grain, such as in cereal, say she'hakol (after-blessing: borei nefashot).  But you should try to determine the actual amounts of the grains.
Bread/Mezonot: Mixtures with Other Foods
Normally, the fore-blessing for bread (ha'motzi), or for other cooked or baked foods made from flour (borei minei mezonot), will override the remaining foods in a food mixture.
Note Bread that has been cut into small pieces and fried may be reduced in status from bread to mezonot.
Examples Saying HaMotzi over Bread Mixture
Wash and say ha'motzi over bread and bread-mixture foods such as French toast, if at least one piece is more than 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) in volume.
If no individual piece is at least 1.3 fl. oz., say borei minei mezonot.
Reason Being fried changes the French toast's status, even if the total of all of the pieces is more than 1.3 fl. oz.
Saying Borei Minei Mezonot over Mezonot Mixture
Say borei minei mezonot over:
  • Cholent whose main ingredient is barley;
  • Ice cream cone (ice cream + cone)—see “ice cream cone” for further details;
  • Pie; and
  • Cheesecake with any kind of crust.
    Note Cheesecakes are sold in bakeries and not in cheese stores, indicating that the mezonot part is more important than the cheese part as regards fore- and after-blessings.
Al HaMichya: Doubt If 72 Minutes Have Passed
Situation You ate some mezonot. It might be more than 72 minutes since you finished eating but you are not certain.
What To Do Doubt about a blessing (safek bracha) does not get a blessing.
Note You may not eat one of the Five Special Fruits in order to say the after-blessing of al ha'eitz and include al ha'michya. You could eat fruit and say the al ha'eitz blessing, but you may not include mezonot food in the blessing by adding al ha'michya.
Women: Eating Outside the Sukka
Women and girls may eat bread or mezonot outside of a sukka.  They do not need to eat any meals in the sukka, but if they do, it is a mitzva and they say leisheiv ba'sukka.
Incomplete After-Blessings (Bracha Achrona)
You must repeat the after-blessing for mezonot, wine/grape juice, or any of the Five Special Fruits if you ate items from more than one of those categories, said the after-blessing for just one of them, and forgot the other. 
Example
Situation You ate mezonot and some figs, said al ha'michya, and forgot to add the words for al ha'eitz.
What To Do You must say the after-blessing al ha'eitz.
Correct After-Blessing after Incorrect After-Blessing
Situation You ate or drank mezonot, wine, grape juice, or any of the Five Special Fruits.
You said the incorrect after-blessing.
What To Do You must still say the correct after-blessing after the incorrect one.
Eating before Making Jewish Festival Kiddush
As on Shabbat, you may eat non-mezonot and non-bread food before praying Jewish festival shacharit and without making kiddush, in order to avoid hunger or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Al HaMichya: Doubt If You Said
Don't say al ha'michya after eating mezonot if you are not certain whether you said it or not.
Fore-Blessing: Raw or Cooked Grains: Granola Bars
On granola bars, say borei minei mezonot (after-blessing, al ha'michya).
Sukka: Eating: What To Eat
 There is no requirement to eat any food other than mezonot or bread (and some opinions say also drinking wine) in a sukka.  Eating other foods in a sukka is considered to be saintly behavior (midat chasidut).
Fore-Blessing: Raw or Cooked Grains: Porridge/Oatmeal
If oatmeal is porridge, say borei minei mezonot (after-blessing, al ha'michya).
Fore-Blessings: Stuffed Grape Leaves
If grape leaves are stuffed with rice, say borei minei mezonot.
Appetite for Shabbat Dinner
Do not eat a full meal (any bread or a lot of mezonot) after halachic midday on Friday.
Reason In order to have a special appetite for Shabbat dinner.
Note You may eat other food after halachic midday on Friday.
Fore-Blessing: Raw or Cooked Grains: Granola
On granola, since it is cooked (baked), say borei minei mezonot (after-blessing, al ha'michya).
Fore-Blessing: Bulgur Wheat/Tabouli
The fore-blessing on bulgur wheat (such as tabouli) is borei minei mezonot.
Sukka: Being Inside: Requirements
There is no requirement to be in a sukka except when eating bread or mezonot, and possibly sleeping in the sukka, but there is some spiritual benefit from being in the sukka at other times.