IN the bustling heart of Tokyo, where the pulse of innovation beats strongest, Gen Terao, the visionary chief executive officer, president and founder of BALMUDA, orchestrates a symphony of culinary revolution.
His is a fascinating journey; of a man who dropped out of high school to wander the Mediterranean, before discovering the transformative power of freshly baked bread in Spain, and channelling his passion for life into crafting kitchen appliances that redefine the culinary experience.
Born in Japan in 1973, Gen's yearning for freedom and adventure began very early. His yearning to see the world began at the age of 17. He left the structured confines of high school to embark on a solo journey tracing the Mediterranean coastline. For more than a year, exotic Spain, Italy, Morocco etc. became the classrooms of his unconventional education.
Eyes misting at the memory, he recalls: "It was an unforgettable adventure — in equal parts pleasurable, lonely and stimulating. I left Japan by plane, before travelling on by train, bus and finally foot to my first destination: the town of Ronda."
Barely able to sleep from excitement and nerves, he arrived exhausted and famished. A delicious aroma from a street corner caught his attention and he eventually tracked it to a small local bakery.
"Using my rudimentary Spanish, I managed to convince the baker to share some of his bread with me," remembers Gen, before continuing: "As I took my first bite, I remember tears welling in my eyes. I'd been feeling tension, fatigue, hope and uncertainty. The flavour and aroma of the bread seemed to break down a dam within me, letting all my emotions flow out."
To this day, confides Gen, he can still remember the fragrance and taste of that freshly baked bread.
AN EVOLUTION
When he eventually returned to Japan, Gen was not interested in settling back into the conventional life. He had another passion — music. And this led him to sign up with a major rock label.
Unfortunately, life took an unexpected turn when the band made the decision to separate in 2001. But the quietly resolute Gen remained undeterred. He saw it as an opportunity to continue impressing the world with his creations.
It wasn't long before he began turning the page and studiously delved into the realms of design and manufacturing. Armed with newfound tools, he laid the foundation for BALMUDA in 2003, which was then called BALMUDA Design Co, before adopting a change of name — BALMUDA Co. Ltd in March 2011.
This shift from music to design marked a pivotal moment, channelling his uncompromising passion for life into tangible products that would soon captivate households worldwide.
Determined to make the most stylish products in the world, he crafted components of aluminium and steel in a corner of a workshop to assemble into BALMUDA Design's first product, the X-Base.
This was to be the first of many peripherals that improved computer usage environments. He then hand-made 10 units of laptop stands before going on to launch the company's first mass-produced green fan.
TIMELESS BEAUTY
Expression earnest, Gen shares that at the heart of his company's ethos is the commitment to design home appliances that transcend functionality. It's about delivering a thrilling experience to users.
From the smell of freshly baked bread in Spain to the cool feel of a Japanese summer breeze, Gen's passion for life infuses every aspect of BALMUDA's DNA. "We don't design to look new or stand out," he says solemnly.
Adding, Gen elaborates: "We want to create beautiful and timeless designs. At the end of the day, new designs can become old in a day, whilst beautiful designs are beautiful even after a century."
In 2021, Gen's vision found a physical manifestation with the opening of BALMUDA The Store in Aoyama, Tokyo. More than just a retail space, it serves as a venue for customers to immerse themselves in the full experience. Regularly held workshops and tasting events create an interactive platform where users can explore the intricacies of the brand's offerings.
Gen's intention is clear; he's not just there to sell appliance, but also to foster a community that shares his passion for culinary excellence. "Beautiful designs are simple and practical. Every design choice serves a purpose, every detail performs a function. Hence our designs fit into any household, any country, any lifestyle," he asserts, tone emphatic.
RAINY DAY REVELATION
It was also around this time that Gen was contemplating to introduce a toaster that would reflect the freedom and passions of his European experiences; one that would change people's toasting experience altogether.
He gathered his R&D team and together they spent some time to ideate designs, explore the technological aspects as well as conduct tests on various prototypes. But still, they couldn't get it totally right.
The 51-year-old's journey took an unexpected turn during a rainy day in May 2014, the day of Gen's annual company barbecue. It had been raining buckets since early that morning. Remembers Gen: "We debated whether to cancel the event, but in the end, decided to go ahead with it anyway. If nothing else, we reasoned, it would be a memorable experience anyway."
And he was right. Despite everyone being soaked to the skin while eating, this happy accident ultimately led to the inspiration for BALMUDA The Toaster.
Elaborates Gen: "Our development team brought some bread along to grill with the meat. For some mysterious reason, the toast came out perfectly: crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. If we could reproduce this, we thought, our company could make a revolutionary toaster!"
The following day, the team began their tireless experiments to reproduce that perfect toast. Despite a full staff effort, success remained elusive. What was the secret ingredient? Was it the charcoal? The distance from the flame? The grill itself…?
Each variable was scrutinised. As the process of trial and error went on, someone finally made a key observation: "Remember how rainy it was the day of the barbecue?" he'd posed.
The secret ingredient to that perfect toast was an environmental factor — humidity.
KITCHEN MAGIC
Recently, BALMUDA launched two revolutionary kitchen appliances, The Toaster and The Pot, in Malaysia. Promising to redefine Malaysian's culinary experiences, these appliances bring the essence of Gen's culinary journey from Japan to homes in Kuala Lumpur and beyond.
(Incidentally, almost two million toasters have been sold in six regions globally since making its debut in 2015).
"Malaysians love food," exclaimed Lim Pei Yan, co-founder and executive director of Visionary Solutions Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of BALMUDA Malaysia. But Malaysians, she added with a chuckle, live very busy lifestyles and more often than not, don't have time to cook or enjoy a fresh and hearty breakfast. Instead, they end up resorting to a piece of overnight toast.
Turning to a stylish white toaster on the table in front of her, she beamed before posing: "Wouldn't it be wonderful to bring that stale bread back to its original freshness and crispness? With this toaster, you can! It's just like having your personal baker with you all the time!"
Eating, added Lim, can bring so much joy, energy, and connection with friends and family. Many will agree that the kitchen is the most creative place in the house and so, BALMUDA's aim is to make the kitchen a more fun, exciting, and enriching place to be in.
The innovations created by the maverick who journeyed from the Mediterranean to Tokyo promises to shape the way we experience the art of cooking. In Gen Terao's world, every toast, every meal is an opportunity for a memorable moment and a better life.
GAME-CHANGER
I'M not a techie person. And whilst I can salivate and appreciate stylish cutting-edge electrical appliances, they scare me. I also have an aversion to scrutinising those thick, complicated user manuals.
What tends to happen is that I usually forgo that painful process, only to discover too late that I've assembled parts in the wrong places and I'm the cause of products combusting before their "due date"!
Having just become the proud owner of a new property, among the many things I've been excitedly scouting for happens to be nifty electrical appliances to furnish my brand-new kitchen with.
The opportunity to test out the "magical" BALMUDA toaster during a recent launch event was one too good to pass up. The experiential culinary session, which enabled me to put several types of breads to the test inside the toaster proved to be a delightful and eye-opening experience.
Using revolutionary steam technology and precise temperature control, the toaster, also known as "the toaster that brings dead bread back to life" in South Korea, comes with a unique feature that can transform ordinary and overnight breads and pastries into fresh bakes.
What makes this BALMUDA toaster unique is the 5cc of water that's poured in at the beginning of each toasting session. Heating more rapidly than air, the steam locks in the bread's inner moisture before the surface ends up with its golden-brown finish.
The temperature is precisely controlled through second-by-second control of three temperature zones, which in turn creates the superb contrast of flavour and texture — crisp and savoury on the outside, and a moist and fluffy inside.
The appliance is so simple to use, with instructions actually printed on the toaster itself so you don't have to bother with leafing through pages of an incomprehensible manual. There are not many dials to grapple with, so even a tech-noob like me could operate it!
Also, the toasting process doesn't take long, which means that you can enjoy that piping hot croissant oozing with melted cheese within minutes — or in my case, it was exactly 4.5 minutes!
PS: Bread had never tasted so good!
For more info, go to https://balmuda.com.my/