What is Pei Pa Koa and why is Ariana Grande adding it to her ‘vocal box’?
The Chinese cough syrup, loved by singers like Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey, is also finding its way into cocktails around the world
It was the best endorsement a brand could ask for.
In a recent video interview with a Hong Kong media outlet, cast members from the hit film Wicked – including pop star Ariana Grande, British actress and singer Cynthia Erivo, Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey and American actor Jeff Goldblum – talked about the Chinese herbal syrup Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, with two singing its praises.
“It’s like a cough syrup, but it’s the most soothing thing for singers,” said Erivo, who plays the titular wicked witch Elphaba in the film. “It’s amazing. It’s so good. And it tastes delicious also.”
Co-star Grande seemed intrigued, proclaiming she would “add it to her vocal box”.
Bailey confessed that the syrup got him through the rigours of performing eight theatre shows a week, and claimed that “it makes you sound like a flute”.
Often referred to simply as Pei Pa Koa, the sticky black cough syrup has been produced by Hong Kong-based company Nin Jiom Medicine Manufactory since 1946, but has its roots in the early years of China’s Qing dynasty (1644-1912).
