According to Shulchan Aruch, why is the beginning bracha on rice "mezonot", but the end bracha "borei nefashot"?

Question

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 208:7:

הַכּוֹסֵס (פי' הָאוֹכֵל) אֶת הָאֹרֶז, מְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה וְאַחֲרָיו בּוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת; וְאִם בִּשְּׁלוֹ הַגָּה: עַד שֶׁנִּתְמַעֵךְ (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָרֹא''שׁ וְהר''י), אוֹ שֶׁטְּחָנוֹ וְעָשָׂה מִמֶּנּוּ פַּת, מְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת וְאַחֲרָיו בּוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת; .

My loose translation:

One who eats whole rice says "Ha'admah" (fruit of the ground) before eating and "Borei Nefashot" (Creates souls) afterwards. If he cooked the rice until it became crushed (sticky rice) or he ground it and made (rice) bread, he says "Borei minei mezonot" ("creates types of foods") and afterwards he say, "Borei Nefashot".

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 208:2 (bridged for purposes of this question):

חֲמֵשֶׁת מִינֵי דָּגָן...... מְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת וּלְבַסוֹף עַל הַמִּחְיָה

My translation:

On the five types of "grain" you say (at the beginning) *Borei minei mezonot" and afterwards "al hamichya".

Be'er Hetev on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 208:1 explains what the five types of "dagan" are:

דגן. והם חטה ושעורה וכוסמין ושבולת שועל ושיפון

They are wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt

Rice is not one of these five grains. So, how did it get included in the same blessing as these other five? And if rice IS considered "mezonot", why doesn't it get the same ending blessing as the other 5 grains? It seems that it is in 2 "categories".

Answer 1

You ask:

1) Why is the brocho on rice mezonot?

2) And if rice IS considered "mezonot", why doesn't it get the same ending blessing as the other 5 grains?

Halachipedia writes

Gemara Brachot 37a records the discussion on the before-brocho for rice. On 37b the gemara concludes that the opinion of the Rabbis is Mezonot with Bracha Achrona of Boreh Nefashot.

[Why is rice Boreh Nefashot?

Answer to question 1: The Rosh (Brachot 6:8) explains that the reason rice is Mezonot is because it provides sustenance (root of מזונות is זן - to sustain) like a grain

Answer to question 2: but is Boreh Nefashot because it’s not one of the Shivat HaMinim. Interestingly, the Mishna Brurah 208:29 writes that rice is Boreh Nefashot because only the five grains receive Al HaMichya because of their significance. ]

FYI

When is rice Mezonot? Raw or roasted rice is HaAdama. Rice which is crushed and cooked is mezonot. However, rice which is whole is subject to some dispute but nonetheless, the major poskim all rule that the Bracha is Mezonot. Products made from milled rice or rice flour is also mezonot and Boreh Nefashot. After the fact if one made HaAdama one has fulfilled one’s obligation. Bread that doesn't have any of the 5 grains in it and the majority of its ingredients is rice, is Mezonot, however, if rice isn't the majority, the bracha follows the majority.

Answer 2

Basically, halacha recognizes rice and millet as quasi-grains. Mezonot but not al hamichya; their breads are not hamotzee, but a small amount of wheat mixed in with a lot of rice would be hamotzee (whereas a little wheat with a lot of corn would not be).