This Is What Those White Squiggly Things on Egg Yolks Are

Ever crack open an egg and wonder, "What the hell is that white squiggly thing?" It appears to be quite the mystery to many egg eaters, and, as expected, there's a lot of misinformation on what it is.

No, the white pieces you're seeing aren't the umbilical cord, chicken sperm or a chicken fetus.

They're actually called the chalazae, and you don't need to remove them.

According to the American Egg Board, the chalazae anchor the precious yolk in place in the egg white. Some may prefer to scoop them out when making custards.

Seeing chalazae in your egg is actually a good thing.

As Incredibleegg.org states, "The more prominent the chalazae, the fresher the egg." As time goes on, the chalazae will become less visible, meaning the egg is less fresh. 

So, the next time you happen across chalazae in your eggs, there's no reason to be grossed out; you're eating fresh.