361 vs. 363 vs. Tongqing No.6: Choosing the Right Series for Your Product Line

A common question is: which series is right for my product? All three, 361, 363, and Tongqing No.6 (TQ6), pass through a 16-stage grading line, but each fits a different use case. Here's how to think about the choice.

What's the Difference Between 361, 363, and Tongqing No.6?

• •361 Series, a general-purpose grade for snacking, baking and garnishing
• •363 Series, a premium raw grade for branded or health-focused products
• •Tongqing No.6 (TQ6), a named large-kernel cultivar

Which Series Fits Volume Snacking or Food-Service Use?

For buyers prioritizing general-purpose supply, bulk snacking, bakery inclusions, general food-service use, 361 Series is our general-purpose grade, suited to that kind of everyday use.

Which Series Fits a Branded or Health-Positioned Retail Product?

If you're building a retail or branded product where positioning matters, a health-focused snack line, a premium private-label product, 363 Series is our premium raw grade.

Which Series Fits a Product Where Kernel Size Is the Selling Point?

Some products are built around the seed itself being visually prominent, a garnish, a specialty snack, a product where a larger kernel reads as a premium feature on its own. Tongqing No.6 (TQ6) is a named large-kernel cultivar.

How Should Export Traders Think About Series Selection?

For traders redistributing into a specific regional market rather than manufacturing a branded end product, the choice often comes down to what your buyers are already asking for. If you're new to a market, our regional sourcing guides cover what's driving demand in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and North America, worth reading alongside this comparison if you're deciding which series to lead with in a new market.

What Should You Compare Beyond Kernel Size and Positioning?

Beyond the basic use-case fit covered above, it's worth comparing moisture content and purity specifications, available packaging formats, and current lead times across all three series before finalizing your choice, and confirm them for your specific order avoids surprises later. Our guides to moisture and purity standards and packaging options cover what to ask about.

Is One Series Better Suited to Private-Label Packaging?

All three series can go into private-label packaging, the right choice depends more on your product positioning (volume vs. premium vs. large-kernel) than on any packaging limitation. See our guide to packaging options for bulk export for how private-label and bag-format decisions typically work.

How Should a New Snack Brand Approach This Decision?

If you're launching a new snack product rather than an established one, start by defining your price point and positioning first, then match the series to that, a value-tier snack brand competing on price generally may start with the general-purpose 361 Series, while a brand built around ingredient quality or a distinctive eating experience often fits 363 Series or Tongqing No.6 better regardless of your target retail price, since the story you're telling to consumers matters as much as the raw cost per kilogram.

Do the Three Series Differ in Nutritional Profile?

The core nutritional profile, vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium content per USDA's nutrient database, is described by a general USDA record for sunflower kernels, which is not a test result for any of the three series.

How Should You Compare the Three Series Before Ordering?

Compare them on the same basis, not on names. Request samples of the series you are considering (the buyer pays shipping), and write down the same checks for each one: seed size, moisture, foreign material and how the seed looks in your own packaging. Ask for each series' figures in writing, so that the comparison rests on numbers you can hold the supplier to.

For a reference point, the NSA 2024 Crop Quality Report reports US confection seed averaging 8.9% to 10.7% moisture and 11.6% to 12.8% foreign material across five crop years. Those are US crop averages and not figures for our series, but they show the range in which a buyer should expect to write limits.

Then match the series to your product. XingYi Trading describes 361 as a general-purpose grade for snacking, baking and garnishing, 363 as a premium raw grade for branded or health-focused products, and Tongqing No.6 as a named large-kernel cultivar. All three pass through the same 16-stage grading line (XingYi Trading company data, 2026). The right choice is the one whose sample suits your product, at a price your customers accept.

What Are the Limits of This Guide?

The descriptions of the three series are the company's own and are not an independent grading. Sample and specify before you order, and ask for each series' figures in writing.

Where Do These Numbers Come From?

• •fdc.nal.usda.gov - cited for: vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium. Checked 2026-10-24.
• •sunflowernsa.com - cited for: NSA 2024 Crop Quality Report. Checked 2026-10-24.

Still Not Sure Which Series Fits Your Product?

Request samples (the buyer pays shipping) across all three series so you can compare them directly against your product before committing to a bulk order. Product details are on our products page, and the full buying process is in our bulk sunflower seeds buyer's guide.

To see how confectionery seed differs from oil-type seed, read confectionery vs oil-type sunflower seeds.