Behind the scenes of bubble tea with Julie and Duc

Behind the scenes of an Asian warehouse in Montreal, Ngan Julie Trinh, co-founder of the PLT and PLThé brands, and her supplier Duc, take turns speaking out following the controversy around bubble tea that has shaken the Asian community. Since the broadcast of an episode of Dragon's Den featuring Quebec entrepreneurs with their new brand of bubble tea, Bobba, a wave of reactions has shaken the Asian diaspora in Quebec. The controversy erupted when Sébastien Fiset and Jessica Frenette presented their “revolutionized” version of bubble tea, an iconic drink from Taiwan, announcing changes to make the product “healthier”, because “you never really know what's in it.” Faced with criticism, the two Quebec entrepreneurs supported their vision and their words by affirming that Bobba was “no longer an ethnic product” and by minimizing the cultural origins of bubble tea. As traders and members of the Asian diaspora, Julie and Duc are not opposed to innovation in the sector, but emphasize the importance of recognizing the cultural roots of this drink. They also denounce the stereotypes that continue to associate Asian food culture with negative stereotypes, a vision that they say is harmful. Reporter: Jennifer Da Veiga Rocha Video journalist and editor: Aude Simon