Simu Liu, bubble tea and cultural appropriation: How an episode of Dragons’ Den backfired for a Canadian business

A Canadian bubble tea company has apologized after actor Simu Liu raised concerns of cultural appropriation during an episode of CBC’s Dragons’ Den, prompting a backlash against the owners on social media.
Liu, meanwhile, has called for an end to online abuse the owners have been receiving, which he says has included death threats.
Known to many for his roles as Shang-Chi in the 2021 Marvel movie and as Jung Kim in the Toronto-based sitcom Kim’s Convenience, Liu joined the group of panellists as a “guest dragon” on an episode of Dragons’ Den — a Canadian reality TV show on which entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to “business moguls” who have the funds and knowledge to bring those ideas to life.
A Quebec duo appeared on the episode to bring forward what they call a “healthier and convenient” spin on bubble tea.
Things did not go as planned.
On the Dragons’ Den episode featuring Simu Liu, two entrepreneurs from Quebec City, Sébastien Fiset and Jess Frenette, pitched a new take on bubble tea, the beloved Taiwanese milk tea that originated in the 1980s, is commonly served with tapioca pearls and which became popular in the West in the ‘90s.
The duo asked the Dragons for an investment of $1 million for an 18 per cent stake in their company, ‘Bobba,’ which sells bottled, ready-to-drink beverages and promises a “unique” take on the drink, including “alcoholic bubble tea” and “fusion bubble tea.”
The business partners started their pitch by asking the Dragons if they knew what bubble tea is.
Liu jokingly responded with, “Has anyone else heard of bubble tea? What is bubble tea?” causing some laughter amongst the panellists.
Frenette called the popular tea a “trendy, sugary drink” and said “You’re never quite sure about its content,” to which Liu responded, “I’m quite sure about its content.”
Fiset said their version of bubble tea is “healthier” and includes three simple main ingredients: “high-quality tea, fruit juice” and their “popping boba,” adding that they had recently launched two “innovations,” including ready-to-drink alcoholic bubble tea and grab-and-go popping boba, which can be served with any drink.
The product comes in flavours such as watermelon, dragonfruit and peach and sells for about $3.99 at major grocers in Canada, U.S and Europe.
Some panellists — such as Manjit Minhas — appeared to enjoy the drink on first sip, stating, “The popping boba is new, I can’t say I’ve had that.”
Liu seemed a bit disappointed before suggesting the product lacked a cultural recognition of bubble tea.
“I’m concerned about this idea of disrupting or disturbing bubble tea,” Liu said, to which Minhas then said, “Why? There could be new takes on things, not everything has to be traditional.” 
“There’s also an issue of cultural appropriation. There’s an issue of taking something that’s very distinctly Asian in its identity and ‘quote on quote,’ making it better, which I have an issue with, but I want to hear the pitch before I formulate an opinion,” Liu said.
“That’s one way to start,” said another Dragon, businessman Wes Hall, as Minhas added that Liu’s statement was “a little heavy.”
The Quebec City duo didn’t seem to win Liu’s heart over any further after Fiset said, “But it’s not an ethnical product anymore, not with the popping bobas.”
“We took the Asian version and we made it with fruit and juice.” 
Fiset said the duo’s “best partner” was from Taiwan when responding to Liu’s question of what respect was being paid toward bubble tea’s cultural origins.
Fiset said the two travelled to Taiwan to speak with the Taiwanese supplier, who they claimed was important to the team and created the recipes and bobas for their business. 
“I am studying your can, and I’m looking for anything that tells me where boba came from, and where boba came from is Taiwan,” Liu said before addressing the reason why he started his own venture company — Markham Valley Ventures.
“I started this venture company for a lot of reasons but really, primarily, to uplift minority entrepreneurs, and not only do I feel like this is not happening here, but that I would be uplifting a business that is profiting off of something that feels so dear to my cultural heritage. I want to be a part of bringing boba to the masses but not like this, so for that reason I’m out,” Liu said.
Panellists Hall and Brian Scudamore also declined to invest, while Minhas, Arlene Dickinson and Michele Romanow were on board to invest for 18 per cent of the company. Ultimately, a very excited Minhas was chosen by the duo as their new investor. 
As ‘Bobba’ was promised a $1 million investment from Minhas, Liu said, “It makes me sad how successful this business is,” prompting a back-and-forth exchange with Minhas, who said the company has the opportunity to change and focus on making the cultural importance of bubble tea visible to consumers.
Like Liu, some who tuned into the Dragons’ Den episode, expressed that they were concerned by the company’s product.
“Simu Liu had very valid points about this brand and their cultural appropriation of bubble tea. And pls, popping boba’s been in the market back in like 2017 or something,” said a user in an X post that had racked up more than 90,000 views. 
Some social media users were also upset the duo claimed their product is “healthier” than regular bubble tea. Others mentioned how common popping boba is and that it’s been around “since early 2000 in Asia.”
Some said Liu’s critiques had been “dismissed” by the other panellists. 
Fiset and Frenette took to their ‘Bobba’ Instagram page and apologized to those offended by their product pitch on Dragons’ Den.
“First and foremost, we want to deeply apologize for the harm we have caused by our words and actions on the show. While it was never our intention to cause harm or disrespect the community that created and popularized this beloved drink, we take full responsibility for the impact of our actions,” the entrepreneurs said.
“Additionally, Simu Liu raised very valid points regarding cultural appropriation and we welcome this learning opportunity.”
“When we said ‘you’re never quite sure about its contents,’ we were not referring to the traditional bubble tea formula found in specialized shops, nor were we criticizing it,” the statement reads. “We can appreciate that this wasn’t communicated effectively in the episode as English is our second language.”
“What we were comparing it to is the other ready-to-drink products like ours found in big box stores.”
“Regarding the cultural significance and origins of bubble tea, we know our choice of words was misguided and understand people’s reactions. What we were trying to do is celebrate that many other cultures are now enjoying this wonderful drink. Our choice of words was wrong when trying to explain our point, and for that, we are extremely sorry.”  
On Friday, the Dragons’ Den Instagram account posted a statement from Liu regarding the online backlash.
“You can disagree and even feel vehemently angry about something, and it’s okay to be vocal about that, but it is NEVER EVER okay to harass or threaten people over the internet or in person,” the statement reads.
“The entrepreneurs in question came on the show and pitched a business in good faith. I disagreed with some of their decision making. I stand by my thoughts, but I do not believe they deserve any negative ill will. It is a learning moment and a lesson that they have surely already understood.”
Liu also took to TikTok and shared his thoughts through a video he released on his personal account, in response to the “death threats” the entrepreneurs received and also his fellow “dragons catching strays.”
In an Instagram video, Minhas said she would be taking a step back and revoking her investment offer, after having time to think about the controversy. 
“It is Cha or Chai depending on where you’re from not Chai Tea, it is Naan not naan bread. Sharing cultures increases understanding and brings peace on earth, something our planet could use,” Minhas said.