Abstract: In order to reveal the effect of polyphenols on quality evaluation of upper tobacco leaves, 111 representative samples of B2F from 28 tobacco-producing cities in 13 provinces (municipalities directly under the central government) were collected, and the differences of major polyphenol contents in different planting areas and their correlation with the appearance and sensory quality of tobacco leaves were investigated using ANOVA and correlation analysis. The results showed that:(1) There were significant differences in the contents of major polyphenols in upper tobacco leaves from different planting areas, and the content distribution of different polyphenols in different planting areas was also different; (2) The contents of scopoletin and chlorogenic acid were closely related to the main appearance quality indexes:with the deepening of leaf color, the content of chlorogenic acid decreased significantly, while the content of scopoletin increased significantly. The content of scopoletin was significantly lower in tobacco leaves with relatively good oil, loose structure and strong color; (3) Scopoletin had significant effects on 7 sensory quality indexes of tobacco leaves, and chlorogenic acid mainly affected sensory delicacy, irritability and aftertaste. When the content of scopoletin was less than 0.2 mg/g, the content of chlorogenic acid was more than 15 mg/g, the score of sensory quality was significantly higher. The contents of scopoletin and chlorogenic acid can be used as important indexes for quality evaluation of upper tobacco leaves.