I need some help with Virginia flue-cured tobacco.

Honda Sun

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I have some Virginia-type flue-cured tobacco grown in Yunnan, China. The variety is called Red Flower Big Golden Dollar (Honghua Dajinyuan). It originally comes from the American Big Golden Dollar variety, but it developed some local adaptations after being grown in China, resulting in bright red flowers.
I currently have leaves graded according to the Chinese system: lower leaves, middle lemon leaves, middle orange leaves, upper orange leaves, and upper cinnabar leaves.
After reading posts and product descriptions in the forum, I’ve noticed that the grading systems and terminology for Virginia flue-cured tobacco seem quite different between China and the United States. Could you guys help me identify these leaves and tell me what they would be called under the standard American grading system?
I think having a consistent set of terms would make it much easier for everyone to share experimental results and discuss issues in the future.
I’ll post photos of the leaves below, clearly labeled with their Chinese grades, so you can see them. Thanks!1000030656.jpg1000030657.jpg1000030658.jpg1000030659.jpg1000030660.jpg1000030661.jpg
 

deluxestogie

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There is only marginal agreement on general tobacco terminology. In your image, the gradation of color seems to indicate that two of the leaves (the center leaf and the leaf to its right) should be switch in position, to be arranged in sequential stalk position. Here is my guess:

Flue-curedCategoriesChina.jpg


Bob
 

Honda Sun

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Joined
May 17, 2026
Messages
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Location
China
There is only marginal agreement on general tobacco terminology. In your image, the gradation of color seems to indicate that two of the leaves (the center leaf and the leaf to its right) should be switch in position, to be arranged in sequential stalk position. Here is my guess:

Flue-curedCategoriesChina.jpg


Bob
Yes, Bob, you were spot on. The two middle leaves should actually be swapped — the lighter lemon-colored one is positioned lower on the plant than the orange one we mentioned.
In China, we generally refer to flue-cured Virginia tobacco as “bright tobacco,” because the cured leaves are noticeably brighter and lighter in color compared to sun-cured varieties.
As for Red Virginia, I had honestly never heard of it before in China. Up until now, I thought “Red Virginia” just meant Virginia tobacco that had been cured in the sun.
Thanks to your explanation and identification, it all makes sense now. Going forward, I’ll follow the American naming conventions for Virginia tobacco in my aging and blending experiments and will report back with the results. Thank you!
 
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