Parkin is a gingerbread cake traditionally made with oatmeal and black treacle,[1] which originated in Northern England.

There are regional differences; for example, in Hull and East Yorkshire, it has a drier, more biscuit-like texture than in other areas, whereas in Lancashire it is generally made with golden syrup rather than with the treacle used elsewhere.

Parkin is traditionally eaten on Guy Fawkes Night,[3] 5 November, and when celebrating "Yorkshire Day" on 1 August, and it is also enjoyed throughout the winter months.

[7] The traditional time of the year for tharf cakes to be made was directly after the oat harvest in the first week in November.

[9] In Northern Europe, honey was used as a medicine, for festive cakes and making mead; before 1750, sweetness was not a characteristic of everyday food.

Jennifer Stead, in her study Prodigal Frugality, identifies the link between Guy Fawkes and parkin as the bonfire.

The Martinmas fair was important, being the traditional day when cattle were bought and sold, and servants were hired for the following year.

In 1605, when Guy Fawkes gave the English church a reason to celebrate with a bonfire, the tradition was adopted under the new name, just four days later on 5 November.

[12] The principal ingredients of a Yorkshire Parkin are oatmeal, flour, black treacle (similar to molasses), fat (traditionally lard, but modern recipes use butter, margarine or rapeseed oil), and ginger.

If this is not available, or if the proportion of oatmeal is high, it is essential to add a leavening agent, e.g. baking powder or a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar.