The cast of Wicked gush over herbal remedy Pei Pa Koa: 'You'll sound like a flute'
In an interview with Hong Kong-based news outlet Newsdaily Asia, Wicked cast members Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey praised the popular Chinese herbal syrup and recommended it to Ariana Grande and Jeff Goldblum.
It looks like Zayn Malik will have more celebrity friends with whom to share his love for Pei Pa Koa. On Wednesday (Dec 4), Hong Kong-based news outlet Newsdaily Asia uploaded an interview with cast members of the movie Wicked which had the interviewer gifting Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum each a ribbon-wrapped box of the popular Chinese herbal syrup, better known as pi pa gao to many Singaporeans.
As it turns out, Erivo and Bailey – who are both theatre veterans – have always been huge fans of Pei Pa Koa, and they immediately raved about it to their co-stars.
"This got me through performing a musical, eight shows a week," praised Bailey – drawing intrigue from Goldblum who then quipped: "I need all the help I can get if this really works."
"You'll sound like a flute," Bailey added.
Erivo, on the other hand, called Pei Pa Koa "amazing" multiple times throughout the interview and said that she couldn't find it.
"Every time I've done a show, this is the thing I use," said Erivo.
Seemingly convinced by Erivo's praise, Grande – who claimed that she had heard about Pei Pa Koa before the interview – said that she would "add it to [her] vocal box".
Officially called Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa Cough Syrup, Pei Pa Koa reportedly had its roots during the Qing dynasty. It is used mainly to relieve sore throat, coughing and hoarseness.
In recent years, more and more celebrities have claimed to incorporate it into their daily routine including Zayn Malik and Jason Mraz.