A boba company is in a sticky situation after Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu expressed concerns about cultural appropriation on CBC’s “Dragons’ Den.”

On the show — Canada’s version of “Shark Tank” — Sébastien Fiset and Jess Frenette, founders of a Quebec brand of bottled bubble tea called Bobba, were seeking $1 million in exchange for 18% of the company. Liu appeared as the “first celebrity dragon” in the series.

Bubble tea – or boba – is a traditional Taiwanese drink made with tea and tapioca balls that has exploded in popularity around the world over the past decade.

It’s become so common that in 2021, Dunkin’ added “popping bubbles” to its summer menu, and this year, Starbucks added “flavored pearls” to its summer menu.

Introducing his product, Frenette described bubble tea as a “trendy sugary drink” and suggested that consumers “are never really sure what’s in it.”

Liu, known for his roles in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Barbie,” interrupted him at that point in the speech to say, “Wait, wait. I’m quite sure of its contents, but carry on.

Fiset said the company has “transformed this beloved beverage into a convenient, healthier, ready-to-drink experience,” using “three simple ingredients”: high-quality tea, fruit juice and sparkling boba.

After taking a sip from the bottle, Liu pushed back against the idea of ​​”disrupting” the bubble tea market and presented the possibility of “cultural appropriation.”

“It’s about taking something that has a very distinctly Asian identity and, quote, ‘improving’ it,” Liu said.

Liu was referring to the racist stereotype that Asian foods are “dirty” and “unhealthy” (see: the MSG myth), and to numerous examples of non-Asian people seeking to make these foods “clean.”

When Liu asked Frenette and Fiset if there was any Asian representation in their company, they responded that their “best partner” is based in Taiwan and creates their recipes. (According to the company’s website, the pearls are made in Taiwan, but the flavors are developed in Canada.)

Studying the can, Liu said, “I’m looking for anything that tells me where boba comes from, and where boba comes from is Taiwan.”

“I started this venture capital firm for many reasons, but first and foremost to encourage minority entrepreneurs,” continued Liu, general partner at venture capital fund Markham Valley Ventures. “And not only do I feel like that’s not happening here, but that I would support a business that profits from something that I feel is so dear to my cultural heritage.”

“I want to help bring boba to the masses, but not like this. This is why I am withdrawing,” he concluded.

Liu’s critical comments were mostly met with disagreement by his fellow Dragons. Defending Bobba’s founders, investor Manjit Minhas said: “There may be new prospects. Not everything has to be traditional.

In response, Fiset said the company’s popping boba (filled with fruit juice) makes the product non-“ethnic,” and Minhas agreed, saying that’s what made the drink “new.”

But even though bubble tea is most often associated with tapioca pearls, popped boba is certainly not new: it’s been on Asian bubble tea menus for decades.

Minhas offered Fiset and Frenette their request of $1 million for 18 percent of the company – and they accepted.

But since the show aired, it has sparked serious backlash on social media, and Minhas announced that after “reflection,” “due diligence” and “listening,” she decided she would not invest more in Bobba.

Liu also released a statement, published by “Dragons’ Den,” saying it is “NEVER acceptable to harass or threaten people on the internet or in person.”

“Let us criticize each other. Let’s criticize this idea of ​​cultural appropriation. Let’s talk about it,” Liu said in a TikTok video. “But what we’re not going to do is threaten people’s physical safety, make them feel insecure and cause them trauma that, quite honestly, they don’t deserve as entrepreneurs who, from in good faith, attempted to start a business.”

In her own statement posted to Instagram, Bobba apologized for the “harm” caused by her founders with their “words and actions” on the show, noting that Liu “raised some very valid points regarding cultural appropriation.” .

The company said Fiset and Frenette’s “choice of words was wrong” when discussing the “cultural significance and origins of bubble tea.”

“We will re-evaluate our branding, packaging and marketing strategies to ensure they reflect a respectful and accurate representation of our Taiwanese partnership and the cultural roots of bubble tea,” the company added.

Bobba concluded his statement by saying it has been a “valuable learning experience” but that the “hate speech and death threats” must stop.

A statement released to TODAY.com by “Dragons’ Den” echoed Liu and Bobba’s sentiments, saying the segment “sparked an important conversation.” The statement added that many shared their opinions “in a respectful manner”, but that there was also “a lot of online bullying towards participants on the show”, so the show supports ” calls for this harassment to stop immediately.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com