I have found a resource for caramel coloring that is a lot less than $1.50 per bottle. It was at my local oriental grocery store (who'd a thunk it?) in their flavorings section. Made by Wang, in Korea, it gives a real depth of color to the darker half of my marbled rye bread that I couldn't get with cocoa. It is a fairly viscous syrup and I'm pleased with the find.
What are the ingredients?
I found some info here, not enough to get me to use carmel coloring though. Does cheap equal good?
Link from one well known American Company, once there, click on the FAQ tab: http://www.sethness.com/dsp_faq.cfm
Mini
A while back, I bought a similar item at a large "international" market in the Atlanta, Ga area. It was the Cobb(county, Smyna, GA) International Farmer's Market.
It is a large store that caters to different ethnicities. The Carribean communities also seem to use a lot of this and there were quite a few brands.
Such subterfuge, coloring your rye bread! However, as long as we are on true confessions, I have used strong black coffee, or even powdered espresso coffee.
Ford
You can get a pound of malt syrup in the asian market for less than $2.00.
siuflower
The components of mine are "Caramel (coloring agent) and water". There is no flavor. Last night I tasted it and could detect no flavor, but I'd been cooking with fairly strong herbs and garlic so I thought maye I just couldn't detect it, but this a.m., my taste buds are rested and it has no flavor, nor does it have any aroma.
I do recognize the color from some bought rye breads I have had.
I will admit to using it, I tried the more molasses, the cocoa, and could barely get a visible swirl in marbled rye. This gives it. And about the coffee: my husbands loathes it and I didn't know this when I married him. As an addict of things mocha, I make allowances, but I tried it in a rye roll one time and he could detect either the aroma, or the taste or both.
MrFrost, thank you for the Farmers Market reference. It will be a must visit on our next trip to Hotlanta.