International Tea Day! Yami Gautam Dhar: Chai is not just a beverage, it’s an emotion
Hailing from one of the tea-producing states of India, Himachal Pradesh, it’s no surprise that Yami Gautam Dhar is a big fan of the beverage that is loved across the length and breadth of our country. As a kid, she remembers strolling in the huge tea estates in Palampur. Remembering the first time she took a sip of tea, Yami says, “I was 10 years old, and it was during my exams when I woke up at 4am to study, and my mom entered my room with a steaming hot, orange-coloured drink. It was lemon tea, and I still remember the balance it had between tangy and sweet.”
‘Little details make the perfect cup of chai’
Yami says, “Everyone likes their chai in a certain way, so it’s personal to everyone. For instance, I don’t like it milky. It’s important to have the correct colour and taste depending on how long you steep it, balance the amount of water and milk, and then add just a bit of sugar. These little details actually make the perfect cup of chai.”
She further adds, “I always feel that chai is not just a beverage, it is an emotion. We call for chai whenever we catch up with friends, have special discussions or formal meetings. I still remember during my wedding preparations, when we used to have meetings with the vendors, my father would always say, ‘Let’s start with a cup of tea.’ That is why I say it’s more of an emotion than a necessity.”
‘I always crave for tapriwali chai’
When she moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting, it was the quintessential tapri wali chai (from the street side vendors) that caught her attention. “When you are new to the city, there is no way that a chai lover will not notice the tapri wali chai. I absolutely love it. I always crave for it, and my team knows that they have to get me the tapri wali chai whenever I am shooting in the city.” And how many times a day does she like having tea? “I would have three to four cups earlier, but now I have brought it down to one or two cups a day. Depending on the kind of day I have, sometimes I just start my day with chai.”
‘I enjoy my regular chai, while Aditya enjoys kahwa’
Recalling her tea moments with her husband, filmmaker Aditya Dhar, she shares, “Aditya is a great cook, and between the two of us, he’s the one who makes better tea. I enjoy my regular chai, while Aditya enjoys his kahwa. I also enjoy having it occasionally with crushed almonds on it.”
