If you’ve ever cracked open an egg and noticed a strange white, rope-like strand clinging to the yolk, you’re not alone. Many people pause at this moment, wondering if it’s something abnormal, something harmful, or a sign the egg has gone bad.Dairy & Eggs
It looks unusual. Sometimes it’s thick and twisted. Other times it’s thin and barely noticeable. But no matter its shape, it often raises the same question:
What is that white strand in eggs?
The short answer: it’s completely normal.
But the longer answer is far more interesting—and surprisingly important to how eggs work.
Meet the Chalaza: The Egg’s Built-In Support System
That mysterious white strand has a name: the chalaza.
Pronounced kuh-LAY-zuh, the chalaza is a natural part of the egg’s internal structure. In fact, every fresh egg contains at least one, and usually two.
Its job is simple but essential:
👉 It holds the yolk in place.
Think of it as the egg’s anchoring system—like tiny biological seatbelts keeping the yolk suspended in the center of the egg white.
