New Yorkers are reportedly turning to a secret remedy –Chinese herbal syrup – to help with their coughs during the flu season.

Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, or commonly referred to Pei Pa Koa (which means loquat syrup), serves as throat demulcent and expectorant.

“I’d been super sick for a week and half and couldn’t stop coughing,” Alex Schweder, an architect and professor of design at Pratt Institute, told the Wall Street Journal. 

Schweder said the symptoms disappeared 15 minutes after he drank the syrup given to him by his girlfriend, who first came across the supplement when she lived in Hong Kong 30 years ago.

“All of a sudden, everybody is talking about it,” said the Wall Street Journal quoting Ching Weh Chen. Chen is the owner of a Chinese market in New York City.

A pack of the syrup costs seven US dollars at Chen's market, while the price can be up to nine times higher online.

Some Amazon reviewers have hailed the product. (Amazon Photo)

The syrup's popularity has come at a time when the entire continental US is seeing widespread flu activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Though some are seeing results, others have wondered if the unfamiliar product is really helping.

Because the syrup is classified as a supplement, the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't inspect it for safety or effects. The FDA has suggested that people consult their doctors instead. 

As Pei Pa Koa slowly picks up steam in the US, it has long been a panacea in China. A majority of users of the microblogging platform Weibo have been pleased about the syrup’s popularity abroad.

“Please have a try of the mysterious power coming from the east,” said user @Qiyuanzhixing.

Despite this, some users doubted the function of it as their peers in the US.

“It’s tasty, but I don’t know whether it works or not,” said @Najiu.