A local cafe in the oldest Chinatown in the world, Binondo, is offering beverages with unique flavors that pay homage to its store location’s roots.
Apologue Coffee and Pastry is offering three drinks flavored with the popular Chinese herbal remedy against coughs, Pei Pa Koa syrup.
These are the Pei Pa Koa Americano, the Pei Pa Koa Latte and the Pei Pa Koa Refresher, which is a non-caffeine drink.
“Rainy season is here, and we couldn’t help but explore the flavor combination of Pei Pa Koa and coffee. And we like it!” Apologue said in a Facebook post on May 31.
The combination intrigued some Facebook users who shared their reactions in the comments and reposts.
“Wow, menthol? Love to try it,” a user wrote.
“Hmmm, shall we?” another user commented, tagging a Facebook friend.
“Ui, masubukan nga,” a different Pinoy said with a grinning emoji.
“Should try soon!” another user exclaimed with a heart-eyed emoji.
“Ano kaya lasa [nito]? Makabalik nga sa Binondo,” commented another Pinoy.
Pei Pa Koa is a brand of a Chinese herbal remedy that originated in the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty in China.
Reports said that it was initially developed as a cure for a chronic cough suffered by a provincial commander’s mother.
The physician’s concoction consisted of 15 herbs. The commander was later asked to mass-produce the product for others.
Apart from being a cough syrup, Pei Pa Koa can also be used in food and drinks.
In 2018, Black Scoop Cafe started offering milk tea drinks called Pei Pa Koa House Special Brew with Grass Jelly and Wintermelon Pei Pa Koa.
Meanwhile, the Apologue coffee shop prides itself in paying homage to Binondo’s heritage and history.
This can be seen in their menu offerings which has beverages like the bestselling Binondo Latte (combination of ube flavor and tikoy), the Black Sesame Latte and the Peanut Cake Latte.