Towards the end of today's amud alef, the gemara establishes that water used to cook a spice is indeed for "ta'am" purposes, even to the extent of ridding the original root/stalk-spice put into it as no longer a food for either tum'at ochlim or teruma purposes.
My understanding - and maybe I'm off here - is that that spice was edible before putting it into the water. If my understanding is correct, then "nana" tea - which is made by boiling a plant that definitely is consumed (as a condiment) on its own - should have the beracha of ha'adama, not she'hakol. This would seem to be different from classic tea leaves which are never eaten raw and which are discarded after use - for which cooking them we say the bracha is shehakol. But if gemara's root/stalk-spice was edible raw, then upon cooking it, even if the root/stalk-spice is now inedible, the liquid becomes a ha'adama, why should "nana" tea be different? Is my understanding of the facts wrong? Or is there a distinction I'm missing?
On behalf of my shiur, which was collectively stumped on this one this morning, I thank you profusely - both for taking the time to answer this, as well, of course, for the tremendous work your kollel does for klal yisrael's growth in understanding Toras Elokim.
Avram Goldstein, Ramat Beit Shemesh, ISRAEL
You are in good company. The BE'ER HETEV (OC 202:19) and SHA'REI TESHUVAH (202:15) cite the PANIM ME'IROS, who writes that according to the rules presented in the Shulchan Aruch, tea ought to be Ha'adamah. However since everybody has become accustomed to saying She'hakol, that is the Berachah that we continue to use today. (The Mishnah Berurah there uncharacteristically does not incorporate these words of the Be'er Hetev.)
The MAGEN AVRAHAM OC 205:6, brought also by MISHNAH BERURAH 205:10, cites a MORDECHAI who writes that it all depends on whether or not one intends to eat food with the spiced-water (the cooked spice itself, or other food - as in a soup), or just to drink the spiced-water without any food. If the water will be used as a drink, then we say Shehakol, like we do for fruit juices. But if it will be eaten with solid food, we consider the spiced-water a food, i.e. a new form of the original spice, and even when drinking it we make Ha'adamah. (This need not contradict Tosfos 39a DH Maya, who writes that we say Ha'adamah even if there is nothing there but water and taste of vegetables/spices. Tosfos does not discuss whether the cooked water originally contained any solids as well.)
Best regards,
Mordecai Kornfeld