The Kom-Kom Miracle Zig-Zag Kitchen Tool Thing

[Chris Amirault]

Stopping by the Sunny Market on Reservoir Ave at the Providence/Cranston line, I spied a new gadget behind the counter. "The cheap one or the expensive one?" she asked. Given that the expensive one was $9.95, I went high end.

So now I'm the owner of a Kom-Kom Miracle Zig Zag knife tool thingie. According to the packaging, I can use it to core, carve, peel, and "slice the skin/meat." I haven't tried it yet, but I think that I'll be able to make some serious julienne.

Does anyone else have this? What do you use it for?

[Chris Hennes]

I don't even quite understand what it is? The photo makes it look like some sort of disposable razor for masochists... can you describe the blade layout in more detail?

[divalasvegas]

I can't make out what it's for either chris but I'm sure it would get you into a lot of trouble if "The Man" caught you with this on you in prison.

Seriously though it appears to be some kind of meat tenderizer with the different surfaces.

Please let us know.

Edited January 8, 2008 by divalasvegas (log)

[JimH]

Here's a better description than the one on Amazon: http://importfood.com/thai_knives.html

It looks like something I should add to my drawer.

Edited January 8, 2008 by JimH (log)

[Chris Amirault]

I'll do a demo tonight with the digital camera. We'll see what's so miraculous about the Kom-Kom.

[divalasvegas]

The spirits tell me that there will be a lot fruit in your near future chris.

Thai Miracle Knife Revealed

[Chris Amirault]

OK, some more detailed shots.

The channel cutting blade sits on a black plastic frame that rotates.

So, effectively, it's an ambidextrous tool.

The spacing between the channel blade and the flat edge isn't perfect, and if you press too hard, you don't get separate strands.

There's a corer at the end.

That little plastic notch is for scoring rinds.

I didn't have a papaya around, so here's a cucumber cut into thin strips.

I think that the julienne blade will work well with a light touch, and for ten bucks, I'm pretty happy with it.

[Fat Guy]

That is a truly unusual kitchen tool.

I wonder how its performance compares to a Kuhn Rikon julienne peeler. I also wonder what they use in Southeast Asian restaurant kitchens to make stuff like Green Papaya salad. The Zig Zag thing? A mandoline? A food processor fitted with a julienne disc?

[mizducky]

The video on this page purports to show the traditional Thai method of shredding green papaya--using only a knife.

But my understanding is that a lot of Thai and Lao cooks do also use gizmos like that Kom Kom ... I've also seen another gizmo that looks like a standard Y-frame vegetable peeler, only with a wavy blade.

[Anna N]

The video on this page purports to show the traditional Thai method of shredding green papaya--using only a knife.

But my understanding is that a lot of Thai and Lao cooks do also use gizmos like that Kom Kom ... I've also seen another gizmo that looks like a standard Y-frame vegetable peeler, only with a wavy blade.

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An interesting technique for shredding a vegetable. It's worth tucking away in a corner of the mind for times when one is at a cabin or similar venue where specialty tools are non-existent. Thanks for sharing.

[Chris Amirault]

From what I remember seeing the Kuhn-Rikon tool in Sur Le Table, I think that the strips are wider with the Kom-Kom.

At the SEAsian market I frequent, green papaya salad is made fresh each Saturday by the wife of the owner, and she uses some gizmo like this to do it. I

[abooja]

Sounds a lot like the Handy Housewife Helper. All those features, plus it can core a apple. Where are Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton when you need them?

[Batard]

Apparently there is also a double-edged variety as well.

I have no idea what the functional differences are, but they both look as if they were designed by committee.

https://www.grocerythai.com/miracle-knife-d...edge-p-804.html

https://www.grocerythai.com/miracle-knife-p-803.html

[mizducky]

At the SEAsian market I frequent, green papaya salad is made fresh each Saturday by the wife of the owner, and she uses some gizmo like this to do it. I

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Wait--she makes the salad on Saturday to sell for the whole rest of the week? Or only for sale on Saturday?

I guess this is another way of asking how far in advance of serving one can make this salad and still have it be palatable and presentable. I've got a dinner coming up for which it would be a great boon to be able to get away with making the green papaya salad the day before as opposed to the day of. Thanks!

[Chris Amirault]

It sells only that day, but who knows when people server or eat it!

Getting the hang of the Kom-Kom down, btw. It takes a deft touch to produce merely the julienne strands in volume. The temptation to press down too hard when you're zooming through your produce is high, but you can easily produce long waffle-weave slabs if you're not careful.

[kbjesq]

At the SEAsian market I frequent, green papaya salad is made fresh each Saturday by the wife of the owner, and she uses some gizmo like this to do it. I

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Wait--she makes the salad on Saturday to sell for the whole rest of the week? Or only for sale on Saturday?

I guess this is another way of asking how far in advance of serving one can make this salad and still have it be palatable and presentable. I've got a dinner coming up for which it would be a great boon to be able to get away with making the green papaya salad the day before as opposed to the day of. Thanks!

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Hi Mizducky, if you have a green bag, then you can julienne the green papaya, etc. the day before and keep in the green bag until the next day. Add the dressing right before you serve it.

These bags are also wonderful for keeping the other items you might be serving (cilantro, thai basil, bean sprouts) fresh as new for a long, long time. I bought these bags because my nearest Asian market is 1.5 hours away. So when I shop, I load up and use the green bags to extend the life of my produce. They are reusable for several months.

Regarding the green papaya, I have that gizmo that looks like a standard Y-frame vegetable peeler, only with a wavy blade, that I bought for $1.50 at a Daiso store. Works great - but doesn't offer the versatility of the Kom-Kom thing that Chrisamirault found.

[nakji]

The temptation to press down too hard when you're zooming through your produce is high, but you can easily produce long waffle-weave slabs if you're not careful.

I would often find the odd hunk of this when eating green papaya salad in restaurants in Hanoi! Waste not, want not.

[jmfangio]

I picked one up last year at a local Thai market when I was looking for a new channel knife (I think I mentioned it somewhere in the Spirits and Cocktails forum). It's sort of a Swiss Army Knife for traditional Thai fruit and vegetable carving., combing several tools in one. I don't think I'm quite up to carving a peacock out of an acorn squash, so I pretty much just stick to cocktail twists.

[pikawicca]

That is a truly unusual kitchen tool.

I wonder how its performance compares to a Kuhn Rikon julienne peeler. I also wonder what they use in Southeast Asian restaurant kitchens to make stuff like Green Papaya salad. The Zig Zag thing? A mandoline? A food processor fitted with a julienne disc?

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It works MUCH better than the KR. The strands are lots longer and separate.