What’s That White Stringy Thing in Your Egg, and Should You Remove It? | March 23, 2025

Have you ever noticed a white, stringy thing in your raw eggs? That’s the chalaza (pronounced kuh-LAY-zuh), a natural stabilizer that keeps the yolk centered inside the egg. It’s perfectly safe to eat and generally blends into the egg white or disappears when you beat the eggs for scrambled dishes.

What Is That White String?

That strange white stringy thing is called the chalaza. It’s not an embryo, sperm, or anything unusual—just a part of the egg’s structure. The chalaza’s role is to act as a natural stabilizer, keeping the yolk centered within the egg white, much like a seatbelt for the yolk. There are usually two chalazae, one on each side of the yolk. The presence of a chalaza doesn’t indicate that the egg is fertilized, so there’s no need to worry about any surprises.

Is It Safe to Eat?

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