Bobba team apologises following Simu Liu's criticism of cultural appropriation

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Bobba team apologises following Simu Liu's criticism of cultural appropriation

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Writer: Heidi Hsia

Simu Liu's newest role as a celebrity Dragon

16 Oct - A Canadian company that went viral for their boba tea product has recently apologised after being accused of cultural appropriation by "Shang-Chi" star Simu Liu.

The whole issue sparked recently, after the two owners of the Quebec bubble tea brand Bobba pitched their drink on an episode of CBC's "Dragon's Den", saying that they are trying to disrupt the popular bubble tea market by using three simple ingredients that can transform the beverage into a convenient and healthier choice.

The presentation seemed to rub Simu Liu, who guest starred on the show, the wrong way, as he expressed his concern over the two Canadian business owners' notion of "disrupting bubble tea", a product that hailed from Taiwan.

"There's an issue of taking something that's very distinctly Asian in its identity and 'making it better,' which I have an issue with," he said.

Simu Lui appeared as a guest star and prospective investor on "Dragon's Den"

The Bobba owners previously said they want to "disrupt" the bubble tea market

A clip of the said segment sparked a backlash when it went viral on TikTok, with many criticising the Bobba people of trying to "westernise" something that does not belong to them.

Some were even reminded by the previous spa water controversy, where a wellness influencer decided to rename "agua fresca", a beverage that has been around since the Aztec empire, as "spa water".

In their apology, the Bobba team expressed, "While it was never our intention to cause harm or disrespect the community that created and popularised this beloved drink, we take full responsibility for the impact of our actions."

Admitting that Simu Liu raised very valid points, they said that they will be reevaluating their branding, packaging and marketing strategies to ensure respectful and accurate representation of their Taiwanese partnership and bubble tea's cultural roots.