An ink jet recording ink (IJ ink) containing a colorant of a pigment and/or dye enveloped in a polymer, and water, and containing at least one compound from the group of acetylene glycol surfactants and acetylene alcohol surfactants, and another compound from the group of glycol ethers and 1,2-alkylene glycols; an IJ ink set including a plurality of the inks; a recording method of using the ink and/or the ink set; recorded matter printed according to the recording method; and an ink jet recording apparatus having an electrostrictive unit mounted thereon and designed so as to be capable of ejecting the ink.