Commentary for Berakhot 70:18
אלמא משחא זיין אלא חמרא סעיד ומשחא לא סעיד וחמרא מי סעיד והא רבא הוה שתי חמרי כל מעלי יומא דפסחא כי היכי דנגרריה ללביה וניכול מצה טפי טובא גריר פורתא סעיד
hence conclude that oil does nourish ! But wine satisfies and oil does not. Does wine satisfy? Lo, Raba used to drink wine the whole of the day preceding Passover to whet his appetite in order to eat the unleavened bread with greater zest ! A large quantity whets the appetite, but a little satisfies [hunger].
Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
The word "food" in the quoted Mishnah is not used in the technical sense Rab and Samuel would give it, but means anything that nourishes. Since water and salt are alone excluded from this category, oil must be included.
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