What blessing is recited on hydroponic produce?

Hello, 

The poskim disagree whether one should recite Ha'adamah or Shehakol on hydroponic produce, and in practice one should recite Shehakol. If one recited Ha'adamah, he has fulfilled his obligation. 

Sources: In Shevet Halevi, vol. 1 (siman 205 in the notes to siman 204), it is written that it is more reasonable to recite Haadamah on hydroponic produce, and it is not comparable to truffles and mushrooms, on which one recites Shehakol, because there the entire species is from the air, whereas here this species is indeed a fruit of the ground. The same view is held by Ohr LeTzion, vol. 2 (chapter 14, responsum 13), for a different reason: since it comes from a seed that grows in the ground, even though it itself did not grow in the ground, one nevertheless recites the proper blessing, for it was created from a seed that emerged from the earth. This was also ruled in Kinyan Torah, vol. 4 (siman 54, letter 6), in Shem Shlomo HaMeir, vol. 5 (siman 2), and in Ravvot Ephraim, vol. 5 (siman 137). However, see the lengthy discussion on this in Machazeh Eliyahu, vol. 1 (siman 28), where he concludes that one should recite Shehakol on hydroponic produce. Regarding bread made from wheat that grew in water, one should recite Mezonot. At the end of his remarks, he also cites the view of Rabbi Henoch Zundel Grosberg in Siddur Minchat Yerushalayim (page 299), that one should recite Shehakol on them. This is also the ruling in Yechaveh Daat, vol. 6 (siman 12), that on fruits or vegetables known to be hydroponic produce, one recites Shehakol. If one recited Borei Pri HaEtz or Borei Pri HaAdamah instead, he has fulfilled his obligation after the fact. Likewise, in Olat Yitzchak, vol. 1 (siman 39), it is ruled for practical purposes that the blessing on hydroponic produce is Shehakol, and see there regarding the after-the-fact case if one recited Haadamah. See also Teshuvot VeHanhagot, vol. 2 (siman 149). 

With blessing, Hillel Meirs