“There’s also an issue of cultural appropriation, there’s the issue of taking something that’s distinctly Asian in its identity and quote, unquote, making it better, which I have an issue with.”
A French Canadian bubble tea company went on Dragon's Den, the Canadian Shark Tank, to pitch venture capitalists on their product line, Bobba, featuring canned teas, packets of the tapioca boba balls, and the potential for a new, alcoholic version of the popular beverage. The investors on the panel watched the presentation from the French Canadian team, hearing all about the product, but Simu Liu, a Canadian actor who starred as Shang-Chi in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, immediately had an issue with the product and accused the pair of culturally appropriating boba tea. By the end of the social media storm, the Bobba founders would be out $1 million and likely will be denied the opportunity to pursue their business at all.
He asked the entrepreneurs what they knew about the origins of boba tea, how they were making sure to honor those Taiwanese origins, and who on their team was able, as an Asian person, to give guidance on the cultural heritage of boba tea. "I'm concerned about this idea of disrupting or disturbing bubble tea," Liu said, "because it's something that's—"
"There can be new takes on things," Minhas said, sipping her tea through a straw.
"Sure," Liu said, "but I'm looking at these two guys—"
"Not everything has to be traditional," Minhas continued.
"No, but then there's also an issue of cultural appropriation, there's the issue of taking something that's distinctly Asian in its identity and quote, unquote, making it better, which I have an issue with," Liu said.
Despite this pushback, the two were confident, saying that they thought they had a great product and were looking to work on a distribution deal to bring their products to the US as they had been very successful in Quebec. Other investors on the Dragon's Den panel shared their excitement, and the duo walked away with $1 million and a new partner in Manjit Minhas, who was really into the product.
Then the backlash on social media began. The company founders, as well as Minhas, were reportedly subject to death threats and hate from an audience who agreed with Liu that the white, French Canadians had no business making or selling bubble tea at all. In reaction, Liu took to TikTok to defend Dragon's Den, the entrepreneurs (after all, they can learn to be better people!) and Minhas for saying she'd invest in the company. In so doing, he emphasized that the Bobba company founders were "misguided," that likely that they should not have tried to pitch their company, despite it already gaining success in Quebec grocery stores, and asked people to show them kindness and "empathy."
It was all a bit too late, however, because Minhas took to Instagram to explain that she had withdrawn her investment in the company and would not be giving the company the $1 million she had promised during Dragon's Den. Boba tea originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and the founders of Bobba have been working with a Taiwanese distributor who saw no problem with exporting his products to the Canadian market. But Liu, who has attained success based on his identity and cultural background, feels that it is his job to gate-keep that Asian culture from anyone in Canadian and American markets who is not Asian themselves or not showing proper enough deference to Asian culture.
The founders of Bobba posted their apology on Instagram, saying "We are very sorry for our delayed response and needed some time to reflect on the entire situation. This is our official statement regarding the recent episode of Dragons’ Den. We hope this message reflects our sincerity and our commitment to addressing the matter thoughtfully and responsibly. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to make things right." It was not well received, with one commentator saying "the eye roll you did when Simu was speaking is internationally recognized!" And another person criticizing them for being "not prepared" and "only in it for the money."
The Bobba company site says that "Bobba is the first ready-to-drink bubble tea made from an infusion of real tea and unique fruit juice pearls. After carrying out several pieces of research on the product and its origin, Sébastien, one of the founders of Cookie Bluff, finally found a supplier in Taiwan. He managed to convince him to make a brand new pearl formula for bottled bubble tea. After a couple of laboratory tests, multiple failures and close collaboration between Quebec and Taiwan, the incomparable Bobba bubble tea was born. Real matcha tea, white tea or black tea with fruit juice pearls - and nothing else. And with less than 15 grams of sugar and less than 90 calories per bottle, it's hard to resist the temptation!"
Libby’s Desk
Commentary and must-reads from Libby’s desk, straight to your inbox.
TPM Newsletter
The Post Millennial’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.
