Written by Jonathan Gao Edited by Elizabeth Badalov It feels just like yesterday when the sharp scent of Five Thieves essential oil and the pungent smell of garlic boiling in a mysterious broth hung in the air of my home. The garlic broth, whose fumes were supposedly used to ‘disinfect’ the air of homes in Hong Kong during the SARS epidemic, made a popular resurgence during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. As for essential oils, despite the debate on the merits of