Food · Fermented foods

Kintoki Carrot (Japanese Red Carrot)

きんとき (Kintoki Ninjin)

Also known as: Kintoki carrot, Japanese red carrot, Daucus carota subsp. sativus 'Kintoki', 金時にんじん, 京にんじん

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	きんとき
Common Japanese notations	きんとき, 金時にんじん, 京にんじん
Origin	Japanese red carrot (Kintoki cultivar, Daucus carota); traditional Japanese carrot variety with deep red color (vs. orange Western carrot), elongated thin shape, sweet flavor; principal modern production region Kagawa (Kagawa Kintoki) with Kyoto and Osaka also growing area; primary application is winter Osechi New Year cuisine
Typical functions	Osechi New Year cuisine — central red-color element (red-and-white color scheme), Kaiseki and traditional Japanese cuisine, Premium nimono and nishime simmered vegetables, Winter seasonal premium gift retail
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard agricultural product labeling. Kagawa Kintoki, Kyoto regional brand naming established. December seasonal peak. Not a designated allergen.

Kintoki ninjin (金時にんじん) is a traditional Japanese red carrot cultivar with deep crimson color, elongated thin shape, and notably sweet flavor — distinct from the orange Western carrot dominant in everyday retail. The OEM positioning is heavily Osechi-seasonal: as a central element of Osechi New Year cuisine (the deep red color contributes to the auspicious red-and-white color scheme essential to Japanese New Year cuisine), as a kaiseki and traditional cuisine ingredient, and as a winter seasonal premium gift retail item. Kagawa Prefecture (Kagawa Kintoki) is the major production region. December retail demand is the dominant OEM moment.

Classification

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Product applications

Functions

Flavoring

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient

Origin

Plant-derived

Used in (typical product categories)

Finished-product categories that commonly include this ingredient in Japanese-market formulations.

Fresh whole kintoki ninjin (winter peak, December for Osechi)
Pre-boiled vacuum-pack kintoki (Osechi convenience format)

What it is

Kintoki ninjin is a traditional Japanese carrot cultivar (Daucus carota subsp. sativus 'Kintoki'), distinguished from Western carrot (orange-color, shorter cylindrical) by its deep crimson-red color, elongated thin shape (typically 30-40cm long, 2-3cm diameter), and sweeter, less-bitter flavor. The deep red color comes from lycopene (rather than beta-carotene that gives Western carrot its orange).

Production: Kagawa is the major modern production region (Kagawa Kintoki regional brand). Kyoto and Osaka also produce kintoki. The harvest peak is autumn-winter, with December retail demand peaking for Osechi.

Typical uses in Japanese products

Osechi New Year cuisine — kintoki nimono is essential for the auspicious red-and-white color scheme of Osechi (along with white daikon).

Kaiseki and traditional Japanese cuisine — cooked applications where the deep red color presents beautifully.

Premium nishime simmered vegetables — kintoki ninjin holds its color well in long simmering.

For OEM: fresh kintoki ninjin retail (December peak), pre-boiled vacuum-pack kintoki for Osechi production OEM.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Kagawa Kintoki, Kyoto origin appropriate. December seasonal peak. Not a designated allergen.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Niche specialty positioning in Japanese-cuisine channels.
USA	Niche specialty positioning.
China	Niche specialty positioning.
Korea	Niche specialty positioning.

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification of Kagawa, Kyoto, or Osaka origin.

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Related ingredients

Used in similar product applications

Other ingredients commonly used in the same finished-product families.

Sharing similar functions

Ingredients that overlap on functional benefit tags.

From the same origin

Other ingredients that share an origin classification.

References

MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition — きんときにんじん

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.