06/02/2026
Popular Souvenirs from Hong Kong: Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa
When it comes to iconic souvenirs from Hong Kong, Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa stands out as a beloved and practical choice. This traditional Chinese cough syrup, known for its sweet, soothing taste and remarkable efficacy, is not just a remedy but a piece of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage. Recently, it has gained global attention thanks to endorsements from celebrities like he cast of Wicked—including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Jonathan Bailey, Sandara from 2NE1, So Matsushima from timelesz and Zayn Malik, making it an even more sought-after memento. Erivo even called it “the most soothing thing for singers,” while Bailey credited it for helping him perform eight musical shows a week, saying, “You’ll sound like a flute.” These endorsements have sparked viral social media buzz, with 61,772 engagements reported by Truescope, cementing its status as a trendy yet effective remedy. Whether you’re a traveler looking for an authentic souvenir or a local stocking up on essentials, Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is now a must-have. Let’s explore its history, ingredients, uses and precautions to understand why it’s such a popular pick.
A Glimpse into Its History
The story of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa dates back to the Qing Dynasty during the Kangxi era. Yang Jin, a filial county official, sought a cure for his mother’s chronic cough and phlegm. After consulting renowned physician Ye Tianshi, Yang received a prescription for a honey-based loquat leaf (Pipaye) cough syrup. The remedy worked wonders, and in gratitude to his mother’s kindness, Yang named it “Nin Jiom,” meaning “in memory of my mother.” In 1946, the formula was commercialized in Hong Kong by the Nin Jiom Medicine Manufactory, transforming it into a globally recognized brand. Today, it’s a household name, exported worldwide and cherished as a symbol of Hong Kong’s medicinal heritage.
Key Ingredients
Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is a masterful blend of traditional Chinese herbs, crafted with a honey base for a smooth, palatable texture. Its primary ingredients in 100g syrup in descending order by weight are honey, Tendril leaf Fritillary bulb, Liquorice root, Loquat leaf, dried tangerine peel, balloonflower root, wild mint herb, Indian Buead Tuckahoe, and Ansu Apricot seed. Specific amounts of the remaining ingredients including Fourleaf Ladybell Root, Ternate Pinellia, Chinese Magnoliavine Fruit, Mongolian Snakegourd Fruit, Common Coltsfoot Flower and Thinleaf Milkwort Root are not provided.
• Honey: Acts as a natural sweetener while nourishing the lungs and boosting energy.
• Tendrilleaf Fritillary Bulb (Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae , Chuan Bei Mu): A core component, known for Clearing away heat and resolving phlegm to moisten the lungs and relieve coughing, especially those caused by deficiency of lung yin with sticky phlegm
• Liquorice Root (Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae, Gan Cao): clearing heat and expelling toxin, expelling phlegm to relieve coughing, usually used with other herbs to treat sore throat and cough with profuse phlegm
• Loquat Leaf (Folium Eriobotryae, Pi Pa Ye): Soothing the throat, clearing the heat in lungs and resolving phlegm, bearing down the counterflow of qi to relieve vomiting, commonly used in treating cough caused by lung heat and vomiting caused by stomach heat
• Tangerine Peel (Exocarpium Citri Grandis, Hua Ju Hong): regulating the qi to soothing the qi stagnation in spleens and stomach, resolving phlegm by drying dampness, usually used in remedy for cough with cold phlegm, indigestion, nausea or chest tightness caused by dampness
• Balloonflower Root (Radix Platycodonis, Jie Geng): diffusing the lung qi and resolving phlegm, soothing sore throat and expelling pus. Clinically used in cough caused by disordered diffusion of lung qi with profuse phlegm, chest tightness, sore throat or loss of voice.
• Wild Mint Herb (Mentholum ,Bo He): Dispersing external wind-heat, relieving the symptoms on the head and throat, commonly used in solving cold caused by external wind-heat evil presenting headache, reddish eyes and sore throat.
• Indian Buead Tuckahoe (Poria, Fu Ling): promoting diuresis to drain dampness, fortifying the spleen and calming the heart and mind, especially effective in treating edema with less urination, dizziness or palpitation caused by excessive water and phlegm retention.
• Ansu Apricot Seed (Semen Armeniacae Amarum, Ku Xing Ren): relieving dyspnea and cough and moistening the intestines to promote bowel movement while treating cough, asthma and constipation
Overall, this syrup tends to clear heat and moisten lungs, making Nin Jiom suitable for lung heat-related coughs and sore throat, so as a gentle yet effective remedy for respiratory discomfort.
Clinical Uses and Benefits
Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is widely used for coughs caused by colds, phlegm accumulation, asthma, sore throat, and hoarseness. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it’s particularly suited for “lung heat” or “yin deficiency” coughs, characterized by dry coughs, sticky yellow phlegm, or throat irritation. For the cough caused by lung heat, it presents as frequent coughing with sticky yellow phlegm, sore throat and obvious thirst while the tongue is reddish with yellow tongue fur. The symptoms of yin deficiency of lungs include dry cough, hoarseness, a dry throat and nose, and scanty, sticky sputum, constipation and reddish tongue with very thin fur. For the cough caused by phlegm and dampness presenting with whitish sticky phlegm, with or without chest tightness and greasy white tongue fur, it is usually caused by catching wind-cold evils or deficiency of spleen qi. The syrup may have limited effects on serious cases belonging to this type.
Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is ideal for symptoms triggered by seasonal dryness, smoking, or air pollution like smog as well. Modern applications include relief from upper respiratory infections, acute or chronic pharyngitis, and bronchitis with thick phlegm. Many users report quick relief from cough and throat discomfort, making it a go-to remedy in Hong Kong households and a thoughtful souvenir for visitors.
Precautions and Contraindications
Although Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is effective, it’s not suitable for everyone. Here are key precautions:
• Cough induced by wind-cold contraction: Not suitable for wind-cold syndrome manifested by cough with clear and watery phlegm, aversion to cold, nasal congestion and whitish tongue fur, as it may worsen these conditions.
• spleen-stomach deficiency-cold syndromes with cough: people with weak digestion or excessive dampness, which is caused by qi deficiency of spleen and stomach, would clinically present as cough with lots of sticky but clear phlegm, as well as experience bloating or diarrhea. The syrup is slightly cold in nature that may deplete the spleen yang qi.
• Cough caused by the invasion of live-fire against the function of lungs: people with repressed emotion would lead to stagnation of liver qi and subsequent liver fire. That liver fire would invade the lung that result in paroxysmal cough, sore throat with swelling and red tongue with yellow tongue fur. The symptoms would be aggravated when one gets agitated. The syrup alone is insufficient, as it lacks ingredients with liver-fire-clearing effect.
To enhance the therapeutic efficacy, it is better to avoid smoking, alcohol, spicy, greasy, or cold food. Overuse or prolonged usage of the syrup may lead to digestive issues or weight gain due to its sweet nature. The most important thing is to consult a TCM practitioner to see whether the syrup suits your body constitution if the symptoms are persistent
