Provided is an aqueous ink that can record an image excellent in color developability and is excellent in sticking recovery property. The aqueous ink for ink jet includes: a pigment; and a surfactant, wherein the pigment includes a self-dispersible pigment in which at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of (i) an anionic group and (ii) a group in which another atomic group and an anionic group are bonded to each other is bonded to a surface of a particle of carbon black and a density of the functional group is 0.10 μmol/m2 or more to 0.48 μmol/m2 or less and wherein the surfactant includes an amino acid type surfactant in which a nitrogen atom capable of becoming a cation has a structure of a secondary amine or a tertiary amine.