It is made with oatmeal (oats were the main cereal grown in the north), which gives parkin its dense texture, ground ginger (the cheapest spice in days gone by, though still a treat for most ...

For the parkin, put the soft brown sugar, butter, syrup and treacle into a small saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Put the oats, flour, ginger, nutmeg, mixed spice and a pinch of salt into a ...

In Europe, dried ginger is more frequently used in baking, as in the classic parkin of northern England.