Milk-tea lovers can rejoice. Hong Kong tea merchants are hosting a competition for brew masters from around the world to see who makes the best cha chaan teng-style cuppa - traditionally made by straining the brew through a cotton bag for the smoother taste of so-called silk-stocking milk tea. Organised by the Association of Coffee and Tea of Hong Kong, the second KamCha competition will extend its talent search this year beyond the city to the mainland, Macau, Australia and Canada. Actor Alex Fong Lik-sun, model Kathy Chow Man-kei and girl band Hotcha attended the contest's launch on Sunday at the RTHK studio, where former champion Chan Wai-chung (pictured) demonstrated his skills. The 37-year-old milk-tea master offered some tips for a refreshing cuppa. 'The water temperature should be between 95-100 degrees Celsius and the portion of milk and tea should reach a balance. And sometimes you need to combine four to five different tea leaves together to bring out the natural fragrance.' Chan, who started making milk tea almost 20 years ago as an apprentice in his father's cha chaan teng, also had some advice for aspiring brew masters. 'Don't be afraid to be innovative,' he said. 'People used to put salt in their milk to balance out the bitterness and some even use green tea or floral tea as substitute for the traditional black tea.' Applications have opened for the contest, which will be held in August. Those keen to show off their creativity with milk tea can get details of the competition at www.coffee-tea.hk