Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao (川贝柘桶莘) — Fritillary & Loquat Syrup

By Dr (TCM) Attilio D’Alberto — registered Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner (BAcC, RCHM) with over 25 years’ clinical experience.

Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao — the sweet herbal loquat syrup sold as Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa and similar brands — is the classic Chinese soothing syrup for a dry, tickly cough and a sore, hoarse throat. It moistens the Lung and eases the throat in TCM terms. It is a complementary remedy for a mild dry cough, not a treatment for a chest infection or persistent cough.

On this page

What it is
What it is used for
Key ingredients
Safety and cautions
When to see a practitioner
Frequently asked questions
Related pages

1. What it is

Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao is a honey-based herbal syrup that moistens the Lung, transforms Phlegm and stops cough. It is one of the best-loved Chinese cough remedies worldwide, valued for a dry, unproductive, throat-tickling cough.

2. What it is used for

Traditionally used for Lung-dryness and Phlegm-Heat cough:

A dry, tickly, unproductive cough
A sore, dry or hoarse throat and loss of voice
Sticky phlegm that is hard to clear
Throat and chest dryness after a cold, or from dry or smoky air

3. Key ingredients

It centres on Chuan Bei Mu (fritillaria) and Pi Pa Ye (loquat leaf), with moistening herbs such as Mai Men Dong and Sha Shen, in a base of honey. It contains honey (a bee product) but no meat or other animal products — not suitable for strict vegans or for infants under one year, who must not have honey.

4. Safety and cautions

No honey for babies under one year — risk of infant botulism; do not give honey-based syrups to infants.
Sugar content: it is a sweet syrup — take account of this in diabetes and dental care.
Not for a productive or infected chest — a wet, phlegmy cough, fever, breathlessness or a cough lasting more than three weeks needs medical assessment.
Pregnancy and children: use the appropriate product and dose and seek advice if unsure. Always have Chinese herbal medicine prescribed by a herbalist registered with the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM).

5. When to see a practitioner instead

A patent remedy is a fixed formula for a passing complaint. Recurrent or persistent symptoms point to an underlying pattern that a one-size-fits-all pill will not resolve — for those, an individualised assessment and a tailored prescription address the root. See Chinese herbal medicine or arrange an online herbal consultation.

6. Frequently asked questions

What is Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao used for?

It is traditionally used for a dry, tickly, unproductive cough and a sore or hoarse throat — the Lung-dryness picture. It soothes and moistens the throat and airways, and is a complementary remedy rather than a treatment for a chest infection.

Is Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa the same thing?

Yes — Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is the best-known brand of Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao, the herbal loquat-and-fritillary syrup. Several manufacturers make similar syrups under this name.

Can children and babies take it?

Use a child-appropriate product and dose for older children, but never give honey-based syrups to a baby under one year old because of the risk of infant botulism. Check with a pharmacist if unsure.

When should I see a doctor instead?

A cough with fever, breathlessness, coloured or bloody phlegm, or one lasting more than about three weeks needs medical assessment. This syrup is only for a mild, dry, self-limiting cough.