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FormulationFilling formulator

Flavors: primary, secondary and accent

The three flavor levels in Step 2 of the formulator, with sensory analysis vocabulary.

What it is

Step 2 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.

The step's subtitle sums it up: "The primary flavor is required. The secondary and accent flavors are optional — at most two character flavors and one accent to keep the sensory balance."

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 does not compete with it, it accompanies 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)

An additional nuance that finishes defining the profile. 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:

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.

Cross-exclusion. A flavor you've already chosen at one level disappears from the pickers of the other two. 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

In the Fruit jelly family the engine hides the Dairy and cheeses flavor family across all three levels, because it doesn't fit the fruit-gelling technique. This is an expected restriction, not a bug.

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