Herbalist Stella Kiang believes in the health-giving power of nature

Herbalists Stella Kiang (right) and her mother Liang Kam Yong at their herbal stall at the Zero Waste bazaar, at The School by Jaya One, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, earlier this year.

Drinking herbal concoctions came early for Stella Kiang. From the age of seven, she was given herbal drinks by her mother, for her general wellbeing.

“When I was young, I lived in the kampung. It was very ulu (backwards); it didn’t have any shops or a clinic. So whenever my sister, brothers or I fell sick, Mum would usually go to her garden and gather some herbs, cut them and boil them into a drink, such as liang cha (cooling tea), for us to drink,” says Kiang, 33.