Canadian drink company tastes controversy after Simu Liu raises cultural appropriation questions | Entertainment [Video]

(CNN) — Controversy bubbled for a Canadian drink company after its founders drew the ire of a Marvel superhero on an episode of a “Shark Tank”-style reality series.

On a recent episode of CBC’s “Dragons’ Den,” actor Simu Liu appeared as a guest star and prospective investor. The owners of a Quebec-based bubble tea brand called Bobba were featured, seeking funding to grow their brand.

Bubble tea is a Taiwanese tea-based drink with tapioca balls that has risen in popularity in recent years.

The friction between Liu and Bobba owners Sebastien Fiset and Jess Frenette was visible early in their pitch. Setting up their product, Frenette described bubble tea as a “trendy, sugary drink” and suggested that consumers are “never quite sure about its contents.”

Liu interrupted the pitch to say, “hang on, hang on. I am quite sure about its content, but continue.”

Fiset pitched Bobba as a new spin on traditional bubble tea, saying he and Frenette had “transformed …