Oh, the allure of grilled, skewered food, the perfume of smoke melding with the scent of caramelized basting sauces and marinades. Sweet and sour, salty, and spicy tastes form an irresistible, crisp jacket of flavor over grilled vegetables and meat. Fish and fowl, too.

Su-Mei Yu, author of “Asian Grilling” (William Morrow), writes that it’s the balance of flavors used to marinate or baste that makes these grilled dishes so appealing, with seasonings designed to match perfectly with the main ingredients. Find the primary taste you like best — sweet, sour, salty or spicy hot — and build on that, contrasting it with other flavors.

In Southeast Asia, garlic, lemon grass, salt, turmeric, white pepper and ginger or galangal, a rhizome with ginger-peppery flavor, are signature ingredients. In China, sesame oil, soy sauce, cinnamon, five-spice powder and ginger often play a key role. Korean cuisine, she says, opts for a sweeter blend, using sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and green onions, while Japanese dishes favor more simple, clean tastes, frequently using soy sauce, miso (fermented soybean paste), mirin and sugar.

Here are four delicious examples of Asian-inspired grilling inspired by Yu’s book as well as California restaurateurs and chefs and a certain barbecue king.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

This satay is Nonya-style, a fusion of Malaysian, Indian and Chinese cooking. In this recipe chicken, is the star, but pork loin can be substituted. Accompany the satay with peanut sauce for dipping.

Makes 10 to 12 skewers

INGREDIENTS

For marinade:

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 serrano chilies, minced

1 stalk lemon grass, tough outer layers and green parts removed, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

3 shallots, minced (about 1/3 cup)

1 tablespoon ground blanched almonds

1 teaspoon red miso

1/2 cup coconut milk

For satay:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1/3 cup pineapple juice

Vegetable cooking spray

Peanut Dipping Sauce to serve (see recipe below)

DIRECTIONS

Put coriander seeds in a small skillet and dry-roast over medium-high heat, sliding skillet back and forth over burner to prevent burning, until spice exudes a pleasant aroma, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl to cool. Grind in spice grinder (or pound seeds in a zipper style plastic bag with a mallet or bottom of a saucepan) and set aside.

In blender, add all marinade ingredients, then puree until smooth. If prepared ahead, transfer to glass jar, seal well and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use, transfer to a bowl.

Slice chicken diagonally across grain into thin strips. Add chicken to marinade; mix well, coating thoroughly, and let sit 30 minutes.

Soak 10 to 12 bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes. Dry before using.

Start grill, mounding charcoal on 1 side of grill, leaving other half empty. While grill is heating, thread 3 to 4 pieces of chicken onto each skewer into a tight bundle, covering 5 inches of skewer. Add pineapple juice to marinade and mix well. Set aside.

Spray skewers generously with vegetable oil. Place skewers with meat portion on grill over medium-high heat, arranging them close to one another. (The uncovered portion of the skewer should not be over coals.) Grill, brushing lightly and frequently with marinade only during the first 5 minutes of grilling, turning frequently to prevent burning. Grill until outside is crispy brown and inside white and tender, a total of 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to platter. Serve with Peanut Dipping Sauce.

— Adapted from “Asian Grilling” by Su-Mei Yu (William Morrow)