A tempest in a teacup (with a side of tapioca pearls) has been brewing on social media. So, why is TikTok in an uproar over bubble tea and cultural appropriation?

The saga kicked off last week when an episode of “Dragons’ Den” aired Thursday on Canadian network CBC. The show, similar to the U.S. program “Shark Tank,” invites entrepreneurs to pitch their products to would-be investors. On Thursday’s episode, the founders of a Quebec-based line of bottled boba appeared, asking for a $1 million investment.