Cretan Soap

"In addition to the various natural commodities that the island produces, it also produces a number of artificial ones. Its soap is renowned, and is distributed throughout the whole of Turkey and elsewhere."

(New Geogprahy, Daniel the Monk and Grigorios the Deacon, 1791 - in Greek).

In 1717 there were only two soap factories on the entire island; a few decades later, in 1749, there were 20 such workshops in Kastro alone, with a considerable output. Although European traders did not regard Cretan soap as being of high quality, they bought large quantities to reprocess at their own factories.