What is the bracha for candied raw Etrog?

Question

On Sunday, I saw a box of candied Etrog in my local store. I'm assuming that they made this available in honor of Tu B'Shevat. The etrog pieces are clearly recognizable other than the coating of loads of sugar on the outside. Assume that the etrog pieces are raw, not cooked, for purposes of making this concoction.

Is the bracha ha'etz or shehakol? I'm assuming it's shehakol based on the idea that if one eats a fruit or vegetable (e.g. raw potatoes) that is normally not eaten raw in his community, one says shehakol In the U.S., raw etrog is not eaten, commonly. Does the sugar coating change the bracha status?

Answer 1

In the discussion we need to examine three possibilities: Shehakkol, Adama and Haets.

I assume that the Etrog is eaten candied only.

Candied orange and lemon peels are addressed in poskim around Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim siman 202, sayf 6. e. g. Magen Avraham sk 17 . The Magen Avraham addresses a kind of orange which is not edible easily without sugar. He says that the peel needs Haets because he remains over the fruit all time in the tree and has dine Orla. The fruit also needs to be candied for a good consumption. This is lechaora similar to the Etrog addressed in OP.

Answer: Bore Peri Haets.

Answer 2

See the answer to Q8 here. I am citing just the relevant part:

(As a side note, if one put sugar or something similar on the lemon, it would then qualify for Ha'etz.)

Etrog is very similar to lemon. So, I've concluded that putting sugar on the etrog would follow the same criterion.