Subtitle: Ah, another fantastic internet mystery solved! If you’ve ever cracked an egg into a bowl and seen those two little white, stringy, twisted bits attached to the yolk, you are not alone.

Let me tell you about the morning I almost threw out a perfectly good egg.

I was preparing breakfast—nothing fancy, just some scrambled eggs—when I cracked an egg into a bowl and saw it. A white, stringy, slightly twisted strand floating in the egg white, attached to the yolk like a tiny anchor rope.

My first thought: What is that? Is it a worm? Is it something dangerous?

I stared at it for a solid minute. I poked it with a fork. I considered throwing the whole thing out and starting over.

Instead, I did what any curious person does: I went to the internet. And what I found completely surprised me.

That white string isn’t dangerous. It’s not a worm. It’s not a sign of a bad egg. It’s actually something quite fascinating—and it’s a sign that your egg is fresh.

Here’s everything you need to know about the mysterious white string in your egg.

What Is That White String?

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, keeping it from bouncing around and rupturing.

The chalaza is made of the same protein (keratin) as the egg white. It’s completely edible, completely safe, and actually a sign of a fresh, high-quality egg.

The name: “Chalaza” comes from the Greek word for “hailstone,” referring to the way the strand looks like a small, white pebble suspended in the white.

The function: It suspends the yolk in the center of the egg, protecting it from breaking. Without it, the yolk would drift and easily rupture.

The sign of freshness: In fresh eggs, the chalazae are thick and prominent. As eggs age, the chalazae dissolve and become less visible. So if you see a prominent white strand in your egg, congratulations—you’re eating a fresh egg.

Why You Probably Never Noticed It Before