Moisture content and temperature variation of cut tobacco during convective drying were detected with the different hot air temperature from 70 ℃ to 120 ℃. The heat and mass transfer model for the variation of cut tobacco surface temperature with moisture content was established, and the characteristic temperature was proposed to characterize the heating degree of cut tobacco in the drying process. Then the correlation between the physicochemical properties of cut tobacco and the characteristic temperature was analyzed after the end of drying (12.5% moisture content of wet base). The results were present as follows: ① Heat and mass transfer model ccould better reflect the surface temperature change of cut tobacco in the process of convection drying; ② The relationship between characteristic temperature of cut tobacco and alkaline aroma constituents and acidic aroma components, aroma quantity, filling value of tobacco was very significant. While the total alkaloid, total sugar and reducing sugar had no significant relationship with the characteristic temperatures.