Why does string cheese string?

Why does string cheese split one way and not the other? I can understand why this happens with beef, but string cheese?

And on that subject, why doesn’t chicken have a prefered direction?

I don’t know how the miracle of string cheese works, but chicken parts do have directional tissue strands. Try pulling apart a cooked breast for example. It’ll tear easily along particular lines that follow the tissue.

String cheese is mozzarella. I’m pretty sure mozzarella is stretched in the process of making it, which would give it a “grain” if you will.

But, I’m no cheesemaker.

Grandson of a cheesemaker here. The cheese in string cheese is a process cheese. It is extruded through a fine-holed mesh, coming out as numerous fine strings, and immediately but gently “rejoined” into one thick piece.

I’m sure there’s more than one way to skin a cat, but psycat90’s answer is correct, too. (And I have made string cheese/mozerella cheese.) Basically, after spinning the curds, you pull it and fold it like taffy, which gives it those characteristic strings. Most cheeses are simply cut and pressed, which does not allow the strings to develop.