Zayn Malik Loves Nin Jiom “Honey” – But How Did This Famous “Ubat Batuk” Come About?
Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa was made by a Chinese physician from China about 344 years ago.
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Malaysians were amused when British singer Zayn Malik shared that he takes “something like a honey” that’s good for his vocal cords and it was a bottle of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa (also known as Cap Ibu dan Anak).
While he wasn’t accurate, he wasn’t entirely wrong either because Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa does contain honey. Pei Pa Koa does help soothe the throat, especially since he’s a singer and needs to care for his pipes.
Also, checks online showed that Malik isn’t the only singer who uses Pei Pa Koa to maintain their vocal cords. American singer-songwriter Jason Mraz loves Pei Pa Koa with a cup of mint tea before performing on stage.
Honey from China acik ko @zaynmalik .
— ᴊᴏᴇ ʟᴇᴇ (@iamjoelee) June 5, 2024
That's cough syrup. 😆😂🤣☠️💀
Layan lain macam ni. 😁
Cap Ibu dan Anak/Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa for the win!!! pic.twitter.com/fq9oa9eGQW
What’s Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa?
Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is a traditional Chinese natural herbal remedy to relieve sore throat, coughs, and hoarseness.
It also works very well as an expectorant and demulcent (temporarily helps soothe pain from inflammations by forming a protective membrane-like layer). The herbal cough remedy can be taken on its own or mixed with plain water.
Its sweet and minty taste makes it popular among families, especially for young children who might put up a fight when they have to take bitter cough medicines.
What’s the history of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa?
The popular cough syrup was said to have been created by a physician during the Ching Dynasty in 1680. Yang Xiaolian, a young provincial commander, searched high and low for a cure for his ailing mother who suffers from a serious bronchial ailment.
Fortunately, he met a famous Chinese physician, Dr Ip Tin-See, who gave him a secret formula for cough syrup. The cough syrup worked so well and inspired the physician and Yang to set up a factory to mass produce it.
In memory of his mother, Yang named the cough medicine Nim Jiom, which means “memory of mother” and made it free for everyone. The story also inspired the famous logo for Nin Jiom – the filial piety logo showing a son serving his mother.
When the Sino-Japanese War came to their doorstep, the Yang family fled to Hong Kong and later emigrated to Brazil. Not wanting to lose the precious recipe, the family sold Nin Jiom to a respectable Hong Kong Chinese medicine practitioner, Tse Siu-bong.
Tse grew the company and remained the head of the company for the next 40 years. The manufacturing company was incorporated in 1962 and continued expanding its business abroad.
In 1984, the factory relocated to the New Territories to cope with the increasing demand for cough syrup. This new factory featured fully automated production lines and top-of-the-line equipment.
In 1997, the factory was awarded the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification by the Pharmaceutical Control Bureau, Ministry of Health of Malaysia.
Since the name Nin Jiom is an homage to Yang’s mother, it makes sense that the brand’s localised name in Malaysia is “Cap Ibu dan Anak.”
The company further expanded its offerings to include lozenges or herbal candies.
What are the ingredients in Nin Jiom Pei Pa Kou?
Nin Jiom Pei Pa Kou, also known as loquat syrup, features the traditional Chinese herb Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae aka the fritillary bulb.
Nin Jiom grows this herb on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau at an altitude of 3,800 metres to ensure stable supply and quality.
The cough syrup also contains 15 other herbs including honey, loquat leaf, pomelo peel, Chinese bellflower root, fresh ginger, and menthol for that minty taste.
It’s not just a cough syrup now
Due to its unique taste and natural ingredients, Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa has been used in food and drinks too.
Pei Pa Koa is used to give drinks like bubble tea and cocktails a unique minty flavour. It has also been added to ice-creams and the more adventurous ones have spread it on toast.
According to The Straits Times, make-up artist Danielle Zhao said Pei Pa Kou can be used to make fake blood for Halloween.
To make fake blood, Zhao said to mix Pei Pa Kou, red food colouring, corn syrup, and Ribena syrup to create a concoction of edible fake blood.
The realistic brownish-red colour and thick consistency make it look like real blood.
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