[VIDEO] Can Croatians Handle Hot, Spicy Food?

(Photo credit: The Sri Lankan Curry Bowl)

Over a year and a half ago two Sri Lankan brothers packed their bags and headed for Croatia.

Leaving behind professional careers, Brian and Clement Senaratne decided to do what they always wanted, and opened up a Sri Lankan restaurant in the heart of downtown Zagreb.

The Sri Lankan Curry Bowl, located on the happening Tkalčićeva street, offers a number of traditional Sri Lankan dishes and has been a popular eatery since it opened.

The Sri Lankan Curry Bowl on Tkalčićeva street (Photo credit: The Sri Lankan Curry Bowl)

Spices and spicy food is not something that locals in Croatia have grown up with.

Pepper, salt, Vegeta, and paprika is usually the extent of spices in Croatian cuisine.

“When we are interviewing for chefs, so we ask them what kind of spices have you worked with, and they are like “We use salt, we use pepper and we use Vegeta”,” Brian said.

Some of the range of spices used in their curry (Photo credit: The Sri Lankan Curry Bowl)

So how have locals taken to the influx of ‘hot’ food?

RTL television show ‘Sve u šest’ went to investigate and hit the streets to find out.

The brothers took same spicy samples on the busy Tkalčićeva street out in front of the restaurant and initially had trouble getting people to even try it.

Check out how the locals react, and see the brothers whip up some ćevapi Sri Lankan style in the video below.