Chai, tchai, le the, te, caj, cha, che, herbata, tae, el te, tea – how many different words for this popular drink do you know? And how strong is your penchant for a really good cup of tea when travelling around the world? Surely the tea in England will be served in a different way from that in Russia, Morocco or Sri Lanka, not to mention countries like China, India or Japan, where tea drinking has taken on a spiritual dimension.

Although Slovakia hasn’t got a strong tea culture, it does have some nice and cosy places for tea lovers to enjoy high-quality tea in. The Slovak word for tea is čaj (pronounced tchai), and if you want to get it with the right decor, look for a čajovňa (tearoom). They’re not as common as pubs or cafés, but you are quite sure to find one in every major Slovak town.

Dobrá čajovňa (Good Tearoom) is certainly worth visiting for its wide choice of teas from all over the world, and a very homey atmosphere. It’s a Czech franchise based in Prague that is also operating in two Slovak cities – Žilina in the north of Slovakia and Košice in the east.

I went to the one in Žilina to find something that would restart my immunity system after a bout of flu I’d experienced two weeks before. The tea lady suggested Lapacho and I was happy to take her advice. She lit up a candle on my table and while she was preparing the tea, we chatted about workshops and events they organize at this new venue.The tea was served in beautiful dark blue crockery on a custom-made wooden tray. I laid back and while I was sipping my brew, I leafed through an impressive choice of teas on their menu.

There was a selection of delicate white teas (such as yao bao from South China), rare yellow teas, green teas like the Japanese matcha or sencha, Indian spiced and British-style milk teas, red teas from the Chinese province of Yunnan, several varieties of black darjeeling tea from India, as well as rich, dark pu-erh teas from China.

I found out that Dobrá čajovňa also offers sweet and savoury snacks, some of them having exciting exotic flavours and tongue-twisting names.Aside the tearooms like these, you’re very unlikely to get freshly-prepared loose-leaf tea in Slovakia. When you ask for tea in a regular restaurant, they will usually give you a choice of black, green, fruit or herbal tea (one type in each category) in teabags. Your teabag will be served with a glass of hot water and sugar, occasionally honey, and you’re supposed to do the brew yourself.

In mountain resorts like The High Tatras, you can treat yourself to a very special Slovak tea that comes with slices of lemon on the side or a shot of rum/vodka in it. Don’t confuse it with Tatratea though, which is a strong tea-based liquor made with various herbs, spices and fruit extracts. It’s a nice pick-me-up after a day’s skiing or walking in what is considered our most beautiful mountains.