Chinese pharmaceutical firm Kingworld Medicines Group saw its shares skyrocket Monday after it was revealed that New Yorkers have been buying a significant amount of its popular cough syrup.
The Hong Kong-listed company’s stock closed with over a 27% increase Monday following an article that was published last week by the Wall Street Journal discussing the popularity of “Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa cough syrup.”
The Chinese cough remedy, which contains a variety of herbs, honey, and loquat extracts, reportedly dates back to the Qing dynasty [1644-1912], according to the South China Morning Post.
During that period, the remedy was concocted after an official sought a medicine to cure his mother’s chronic cough — Nin jiom means “in remembrance of my mother.”
Today, the medicine can be purchased on Amazon for $12.99 for a 300-milliliter bottle.
The product is so popular that it has accounted for 43% of Kingworld’s total sales in the first half of 2017.
Market research firm Mintel found that traditional Chinese medicine has been gaining popularity in Western countries in recent years.
From April 2012 to March 2017, about 36% of new Chinese medicine product launches were done in Europe, Mintel global food science and nutrition analyst at Michelle Teodoro wrote last year. During that period, Teodoro noted that Europe’s market share of traditional Chinese medicine products has increased by up to 93%.
Netizens took to Twitter to talk about the culturally beloved concoction:
My older brother who lives in Geneva, Switzerland, just texted me to say he has a stock of these at home… Looks like Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is conquering the West!
— Clément Bürge (@ClementBurge) February 23, 2018
oh no, the caucasians have discovered the nin jiom pei pa koa
let’s just hope they don’t twist and turn it & end up saying it’ll cause cancer/diseases and whatnot lmao
— amanda ◟̽◞̽ (@pewpewdieyou) February 26, 2018
They should have Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa LOLLIPOPS
— JY (@kosherjellyfish) January 19, 2018
Did you know that Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa……. is the most delicious thing ever… I HAVE BEEN MISSING OUT MY ENTIRE LIFE…….
— moggy (@OHmogwai) January 14, 2018
i have never associated with coconut before but yes, it’s cold and minty and herbally, and i mean it’s so iconic, p sure it’s the same thing. nin jiom pei pa koa! tho obvi in our house we call it chuan bei pi pa gao
— Kou Chen (@koukounut) December 21, 2017
Haha. Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is going mainstream. Lots of Western cultures use similar remedies for soothing coughs including honey-based ones like this one. It’s not an exotic Chinese thing. https://t.co/wOd4qu4krp
— Joanna Chiu 趙淇欣 (@joannachiu) February 24, 2018
Those of us who grew up with the medicinal mixture remember its very distinct taste, to which we’ve grown accustomed. It’s therefore amusing to hear some newcomers describe the liquid as “strong in the taste department” and “pungent”; still, they’re pretty enthusiastic about it, so bottoms up!
Cheers!
Featured Image via YouTube / Symbolic Marketing
