At the retirement complex where I cooked for a few months in the off-season, FWIW, the busiest night of the week was Friday when we offered steamed mussels. The house dietitian insisted on reduced-sodium recipes for most meals, but we made liberal use of herbs and spices to compensate.
I've been encouraging my own mother to try different things, because she's in the early stages of Parkinson's and one of its effects is that it reduces one's ability to taste. My suggestion was that she might find enjoyment in flavors she'd considered too pungent when she was younger, and she's finding that to be the case (blue cheese was one of our first experiments). Just as an aside, some authorities in the field of gerontology advocate for the selective use of MSG in feeding the elderly, because it reaches the brain through a different channel and can help keep them interested in food (often a concern). I would presume that other umami-rich food and condiments with similar glutamates probably have the same effect.
