The Brocha on Grain Products vol.1 no.6

1. In general, the brocha of Mezonos is recited before eating baked products made from the five grains ( wheat, barley, oat, rye and spelt ). If, however, these grains were processed in other ways the brocha of Mezonos is not always applicable.
   1. If the grain was puffed, e.g. Puffed Wheat and Sugar Crisp cereals, one recites the brocha of Hoadoma. The brocha of Mezonos was only instituted for cooked or baked grains, not for those which are puffed in dry heat.
   2. If only the bran part of the grain is being eaten, as is true in certain bran cereals, one recites the brocha of Shehakol, because the bran is not an important portion of the grain. If, however, parts of the kernel are included as well, on these cereals one recites the brocha of Mezonos. It has been clarified, that cereals with the title of bran flakes have parts of the kernel included and therefore require the brocha of Mezonos, and those with the title of bran are made from pure bran and therefore require the brocha of Shehakol.
   3. If one is eating cooked, crushed grain e.g. oatmeal he recites the brocha of Mezonos. However, on cooked wheat germ unless the particles adhere to one another forming a mass the brocha recited is Hoadoma. If one is eating uncooked crushed grain, e.g. uncooked wheat germ, even if the particles adhere to one another he recites the brocha of Hoadoma.
   4. Even if the grain was not crushed but the shell and part of the kernel were removed e.g. the pearl barley sold in the stores the brocha one recites is Mezonos.
2. Rice, although not one of the five grains generally requires the brocha of Mezonos because its process of fermentation is strikingly similar to that of the five grains. If the rice was shelled, as is true with white rice, one recites the brocha of Mezonos. Cereals made from rice, e.g. Rice Krispies, fall into this category. If the rice, however, was not shelled e.g. brown rice one recites the brocha of Hoadoma. Even in this case, if the pieces of rice adhere to one another or are softened and partially deformed the brocha one recites is Mezonos. Therefore, on rice cakes one recites Mezonos being that the rice has been softened and deformed. It should be noted that the brocha recited after eating rice or rice products is Borai Nefashos.

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