I remember how in my childhood a watercress soup was simple fare.
I just read in the Financial Times “How to spend it” week-end section that ‘Savon de Marseille‘ which was then a basic staple, a big block of soap, has now become almost a luxury item. Occitanie stores carry it.
In the UK, a company called Cabane (which in France does not mean much more than a shack) even sells it in liquid form for about $16.00 for half a litter.
(* Savon de Marseille image from Savon de Marseille- French Soap LLC website)