Twenty minutes later, I was laughing at myself.
Because that white string—the one I thought might be a parasite or a contamination—is completely natural. It’s not dangerous. It’s not a worm. And I’d been eating it my entire life without ever noticing it before.
Let me tell you what it actually is, why it’s there, and why you should stop worrying about it immediately.
What Is That White String in Your Egg?
That white, twisty, slightly opaque strand is called the chalaza (pronounced kuh-LAY-zuh). Plural: chalazae.
It’s a natural protein structure that holds the yolk in the center of the egg. Think of it as an internal suspension system—a set of tiny ropes that anchor the yolk to the membrane of the eggshell. It keeps the yolk from bouncing around and rupturing.
The chalazae are made of the same protein (keratin) as egg white. They are completely edible, completely safe, and actually a sign of a fresh, high-quality egg.
