Yorkshire parkin uses oatmeal and plenty of black treacle. Lancashire parkin, although still northern and still parkin, skips out the treacle and uses just golden syrup. Gingerbread or ginger cake also uses golden syrup and of course ginger, but has no treacle and no oats or oatmeal. In my opinion parkin isn't parkin without fine oats for that chewy texture and a good amount of black treacle, which makes the cake warming and moist and also gives it a super strong and slightly bitter flavour thats almost like liquorish.