New York, New York (The Adobo Chronicles) – Every year, artists from every corner of the design world look to the Pantone Color Institute for guidance on what hue will reign for the next 365 days. Last year’s color, Radiant Orchid, a chirpy shade of lilac, was widely heralded as one that symbolized the economic recovery, optimism for humanity, and a sense of sophisticated purpose.

This year’s color is … drum roll … ‘Tikka Masala.’ Yes, as in Chicken Tikka Masala!

“This tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness of a fulfilling meal, while its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness,” Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in the company press release. “This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors.”

There was mixed reaction among members of the design community. Michael Martin Navarrete Bello, a noted Filipino American interior designer based in San Francisco, said “The reddish-brown color reminds one of rust, the grimy, gag-inducing type that lines corners or frat boy dormitory-style bathrooms.”

Social media has questioned what Pantone calls “a naturally robust and earthy wine red color” as “a color that makes you want to go to Olive Garden or order Tampax in bulk.”

Others, including the American Hotel and Restaurant Association applauded the selection of Tikka Masala as the 2015 color. “It will be a boost to our members’ businesses as we expect our customers and diners to be looking out for Tikka Masala in our menus ” a spokesperson said.

Update: The Adobo Chronicles would like to apologize for a major error in this story. One of our reporter interns apparently misinterpreted the color hue selected by the Pantone Institute. The corect name of the color is ‘Marsala,’ as in the wine Marsala from Sicily, Italy. We have fired the intern since the publication of this story.