Flavors: primary, secondary and accent
The three flavor levels of the Filling formulator, explained with sensory analysis vocabulary.
What it is
The Choose your flavors scene of the Filling formulator is not a single flavor field: it is a three-level architecture designed so you can build a balanced sensory profile, just as a chef would when designing a bonbon. Each level serves a distinct purpose, and the engine weights them differently.
You choose the structure (how many flavors and whether there's an accent) in the previous scene, How many flavors will your filling have?, and this one only shows the roles you chose. The primary is required; the secondary and the accent are optional: at most two character flavors and one accent. The app sums it up like this: "Most bonbons shine with one or two flavors."
The three levels
Primary flavor (required)
Defines the character of the filling. It is what the customer notices first when biting into the bonbon. It is the only required level: if you fill in only this field, you can already generate.
Examples: raspberry, coffee, vanilla, pistachio, caramel.
Secondary flavor (optional)
Modulates or lifts the primary flavor. It doesn't compete with it; it supports it. The typical amount it contributes to the formula is 1 to 6% of the weight. Use it when you want a profile with two complementary sides.
Examples: a raspberry ganache (primary) with vanilla (secondary) to round off the acidity; coffee with hazelnut.
Accent (optional)
A finishing note that rounds off the profile and is dosed in grams. The accent is split internally into two sensory roles, and the engine decides the dose based on the filling family:
- Aromatic accent — a touch of fragrance that perfumes the whole without taking the lead. Examples: vanilla, tonka, orange blossom.
- Contrast accent — an element that breaks or balances by opposition. Examples: salt, acid, heat.
You don't have to specify which of the two roles you want: you pick the flavor and the engine interprets it based on the family (a pinch of salt in a soft caramel works as contrast; orange blossom in a ganache works as aroma).
How they are chosen on the screen
Each of the three levels has its own flavor picker. All three offer the same flavors: the role decides how much weight each one carries in the recipe.
Open the picker
Click the field for the level you want to fill in (Primary flavor, Secondary flavor or Accent). A search box opens with a grid of flavor families (each with its name, color, short description and flavor count).
Search or browse
Type in the search box to filter the entire catalog (over 500 curated flavors) or click a family to see only its options.
Pick the flavor
When you select a flavor, the picker closes and the field shows a chip with the chosen flavor, a Change link to swap it and an X to remove it. If you pick a flavor for a role it isn't usually used in, you'll see a dosing tip. If the flavor has records in Ingredients, Form in Ingredients appears under the chip: by default Let the engine choose, or pin a specific record (fresh, purée, freeze-dried…) and the engine uses it as is.
Cross-exclusion. A flavor you've already chosen at one level stays visible in the other two pickers, but disabled and marked Already chosen in another role. This keeps you from repeating the same flavor as both primary and accent.
Additional notes
Below the three levels there is an Additional notes field (optional, 200 characters max). It is not a flavor from the catalog: these are qualitative cues for the engine about intensity, context or references. For example: "Boost acidity", "reminiscent of a mojito" or "alcohol-free". Use it to refine what the three flavor levels don't capture on their own.
Family restrictions
For Pâte de fruit the picker hides the Dairy & cheeses flavor family across all three levels, because it doesn't fit the fruit-gelling technique. For Creamy praline, which can't take free water, it only offers fruit in dry form (freeze-dried, dehydrated or candied) and hides liqueurs and dairy. When this happens, the This family doesn't suit your filling panel appears. These are expected restrictions, not bugs.